MOSCOW, June 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] said Thursday it received about $8.8 billion in extra revenue in 2006 due to growth in natural gas export prices to Europe.
"The increase in net revenue from natural gas sales to Europe by 226.8 billion rubles (about $8.8 billion), or by 37%, is attributable to growth in average gas prices and export volumes," said Andrei Kruglov, the head of Gazprom's department for finance and economics.
Revenue from sales to former Soviet republics leapt 93%, or by 101.3 billion rubles (about $4 billion) in 2006. Gazprom said in late December 2006 that it expected to charge market gas prices for all ex-Soviet states by 2008.
Kruglov also said the company's net debt fell by 6.3% in 2006 to 614.03 billion rubles (about $23.8 billion) at the end of the year.
