SUMMARY: Kerimov close to buying control of Belaruskali for $15 bln - source
MOSCOW. June 9 (Interfax) - Suleiman Kerimov's Nafta Moskva is close to agreeing a deal with the Belarusian authorities to buy 50% plus one share in Belarusian potash miner Belaruskali, a source with knowledge of the situation told Interfax.
The source said the deal would be based on a valuation of $30 billion for the whole company, and could run to $15 billion.
Kerimov is co-owner of Russian potash miner Uralkali which, together with Belaruskali, created Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) in 2005. The two companies supply 30% of the world's potash via BPC.
Rumors first surfaced that Kerimov was interested in Belaruskali soon after he and his business partners bought Uralkali for $5.3 billion last summer. Belaruskali was incorporated as an OJSC last year with the biggest charter capital of any Belarusian company. India and China's CITIC showed an interest in buying Belaruskali shares at the time. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said up to 25% of Belaruskali might be sold. First Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko has said Belarus might be prepared to sell a minority stake in Belaruskali for $6 billion-$7 billion.
Uralkali is merging with fellow Urals potash miner Silvinit . BPC could be supplying 40% of the world's potash if it starts handling the Silvinit fertilizer as well.
The Wall Street Journal said this week that Kerimov had discussed the possible acquisition of a controlling stake in Belaruskali in recent weeks but that the sides were "far apart on price".
A source familiar with the situation told Interfax that the decisive meeting between Nafta Moskva and the Belarusian authorities, at which the sides came closer to an agreement, took place on June 8.
Sberbank Russia is ready to consider a loan to Nafta Moskva to finance purchase of a controlling stake in Belaruskali, Sberbank Deputy CEO Andrei Donskikh told Interfax.
"So far Kerimov has not made a request. But we would be happy to consider the possibility of financing this deal, including, if needed, as a member of a consortium of Russian banks," he said.
However, a detailed valuation of Belaruskali would be needed before the loan was made, he said.
VTB , which helped to finance the Uralkali takeover last summer, declined to comment.
Uralkali's market cap is currently around $18 billion. Belaruskali has more capacity than the Russian company - it produced 8.6 million tonnes of potash last year compared with Uralkali's 5.1 million tonnes.
Belarusian officials said following the WSJ report that they knew nothing of any talks between Kerimov and the Belarusian August. Belneftechim spokeswoman Marina Kostyuchenko told Interfax on Tuesday that if talks did take place they were held "not here at the concern but at the government or higher."
Pyotr Lukyanov, first deputy head of the State Property Committee's State Property Fund, said on Tuesday the committee had "not talked to "Kerimov or anybody else" and that neither tie committee nor the fund knew about any talks. "Decisions like this are taken at a different level," he said.
It is the State Property Committee that holds the government shares in Belaruskali and would finalize any sale, "but we have not received any instructions to draft the paperwork to sell shares," Lukyanov said.
"Nor has there been any movement on the possible landmark deals that have been discussed at government and presidential levels," he said. There has been talk of selling some or all of the government stakes in Mobile Telesystems, Minsk Automotive Works, OJSC Naftan, OJSC Beltransgaz and an amalgamation of OJSC Grodno Azot and OJSC Grodno Khimvolokno.
Lukyanov said he could not rule out that talks were taking place at the level of profile ministries and agencies, and at the government itself.
Alexander Timoshenko, spokesman for the Belarusian prime minister, also told Interfax on Tuesday that he had "no information." "Best to ask Mr. Kerimov himself whether there have been talks or not," he said.
Belaruskali is the only potash miner in Belarus and