Kremlin: no decision taken on switching Russian LNG sales to roubles

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that no decision had been made on whether to switch sales of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to roubles.

Russia's Gazprom could propose expanding its roubles-for-gas scheme for pipeline gas to include LNG, the Interfax news agency quoted a senior manager as saying on Monday.

"Currently no decisions have been taken in this regard and there are not any prepared orders," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told his daily conference call with reporters.

Kirill Polous, a deputy department head at Gazprom, said on Monday that there was a foreign exchange competition between the pipeline gas which is sold in roubles and LNG which is taxed in dollars, Interfax reported.

Asked whether LNG-for-roubles may cover all LNG from Russia, which comes mainly from the Sakhalin-2 project and Novatek-led Yamal LNG, Peskov redirected questions to Gazprom.

Neither Gazprom nor Novatek replied to Reuters requests for comment.