Gas Exporting Countries Forum members discussing gas market swaps, there is interest - dep Russian energy minister

TEHRAN. Feb 18 (Interfax) - Gas Exporting Countries Forum members are discussing gas market swaps, Deputy Russian Energy Minister Roman Marshavin told Interfax.

Commenting on the discussion with the GECF countries of "joint operations in LNG markets, including countering illegal sanctions restrictions of third countries," which took place at the forum summit last week, Marshavin confirmed that this was about swaps.

"Everything is in the pipeline, there are no specific agreements yet, but in the near future there will be proposals at the level of companies. All export countries are participating and are interested," he said.

GECF members are Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the UAE and Venezuela. Another eight countries are observers - Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru and Senegal.

Qatar, the world's second biggest LNG exporter, has previously expressed no desire to conduct swap transactions, preferring to sell its gas directly.