GAZPROM SHARE 35%

REUTERS - Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom told its consumers on Tuesday that its position on the European gas market remains safe and could even improve thanks to unfaltering demand for the fuel.

Russian gas supplies to Europe have become increasingly politicised since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and was accused of stirring up insurgency in the east of the country, where more than 10,000 people have been killed.

Speaking at the European Gas Conference in Vienna, Gazprom Chairman Viktor Zubkov said the company's share of the European gas market, where it generates the majority of its revenue, rose last year to a record high of more than 35 percent, from about 33 percent in 2016.

Gazprom's 2017 gas exports to Europe and Turkey were up 8.1 percent at a record 193.9 billion cubic metres (bcm) despite Europe's efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies.

To help to safeguard its market share, Gazprom has quietly agreed price deals with big customers and caved in to EU rules it once flouted. Gazprom sources said that lessons have been drawn from recent defeats on the European gas market.

The Vienna conference has been attended by a number of Gazprom's key customers in Europe, such as Austria's OMV and Germany's RWE.

Gazprom's Deputy Chief Executive Alexander Medvedev told the conference that healthy demand for the Russian gas in Europe will help to maintain Russian gas exports around current levels.

"We believe that demand factors will support export of around 190 bcm per year, although obviously influenced by weather factors," he said, adding that Russian gas exports to Europe in January has fallen by only 3 percent year on year despite warm weather.

"Europe will need an additional 50 bcm of gas imports by 2025 and 75 bcm by 2035. I think these figures are attractive enough for all gas industry stakeholders and investors."

Russia has been seeking to boost its energy influence in Europe by building more pipelines, such as Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream, to bypass Ukraine.

One of the two TurkStream lines is designed to ship the Russian gas via the Black Sea to Turkey. The annual capacity of each pipeline is 15.75 bcm and project is due to be completed by the end of 2019.

Medvedev said there are different options under discussion on how to use the second line, including the possible use of Austria's Baumgarten gas hub.

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Earlier:

2018, January, 29, 08:30:00 U.S. WANT RUSSIA'S MARKET SHARE BLOOMBERG - The expansion of Russia’s gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea, which bypasses a number of east European nations, will allow the Kremlin to use energy as a “political tool,” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in Warsaw.

2018, January, 24, 11:55:00 GAZPROM'S TURKSTREAM UNDERWAY GAZPROM - The TurkStream project is well underway. In accordance with the plan, it is carried out simultaneously at three sections: onshore in Russia and Turkey and offshore in the Black Sea. Русский | English

2018, January, 5, 23:50:00 RUSSIA'S GAS RECORD BLOOMBERG - Russia needs to strengthen its position in the global gas market as it’s considered a leading global energy power, President Vladimir Putin said last month. Already the world’s largest exporter of the fuel, the nation is working to boost output with new LNG plants stretching from the Baltic region to the Pacific coast. That will pit the country against the biggest producers of the super-chilled fuel, including Qatar and Australia.

2017, December, 25, 20:30:00 НОВЫЙ РЕКОРД АВСТРИИ ГАЗПРОМ - еще в начале ноября Австрия превзошла исторический рекорд импорта российского газа, установленный по итогам 2005 года (6,8 млрд куб. м). С 1 января по 21 декабря 2017 года «Газпром», по предварительным данным, поставил в республику 8,25 млрд куб. м газа — на 2,4 млрд куб. м (40,7%) больше, чем за аналогичный период прошлого года.

2017, December, 11, 10:20:00 RUSSIAN GAZPROM'S NEW RECORD PLATTS - Taking into account the nominated volume for Friday, Gazprom will have exported 179.8 Bcm to what it calls the Far Abroad -- Europe and Turkey, but not the countries of the former Soviet Union -- higher than last year's then record high of 179.3 Bcm.

2017, December, 1, 12:45:00 RUSSIAN GAS TO GERMANY: 200 BLN GAZPROM - the Nord Stream gas pipeline transmitted its 200 billionth cubic meter of gas from Russia to Germany via the Greifswald delivery point. Русский | English

2017, November, 20, 09:20:00 RUSSIA'S GAS FOR EUROPE UP Gazprom's natural gas supplies to western Europe edged up by 3% year on year in the third quarter of 2017, according to an S&P Global Platts analysis of Gazprom data, as Russian gas deliveries to its core markets continue to outpace last year's levels.