MOSCOW, April 14 (RIA Novosti) - State-owned oil company Rosneft will launch an IPO in Russia and abroad in June, a senior member of the lower house of parliament said Friday.

Anatoly Aksakov, a deputy head of the State Duma's financial markets committee, said that under new rules that had come into force this year Russian companies should initially hold IPOs at home.

"The IPO is to take place in June, and it is important that it will be the first IPO in Russia to be held according to the new rules," Aksakov said.

Earlier, Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said Rosneft, Russia's No. 2 crude producer, could float an initial public share offering in Q3 2006. Gref said the company could float shares worth $3bln in Russia and a $12-billion share offering on the London Stock Exchange.

Rosneft's board of directors is expected to fix the date, share numbers, and other details of the planned IPOs in the near future.

Rosneft plans to sell some of its stock to repay a $7.5-billion loan it took to buy 10.74% of shares in Gazprom and thereby increase the state's share in the energy giant to a controlling block.

The company, which has reported its market value at more than $25 billion, could float up to 30% of its stock, which would be Russia's biggest IPO to date.