Sibneft, now Gazprom Neft, and TNK oil companies jointly acquired 74.95% of Slavneft shares at auction in December 2002. They now hold 98.95% of Slavneft shares and large stakes in its major subsidiaries.
"It is impossible to divide oil producing assets," said Gazprom Neft head Alexander Ryazanov.
"We address all issues with TNK-BP together, even when Slavneft bids for oil producing assets at auctions," he said.
Ryazanov said the two companies shared the sales and transportation assets of Slavneft, and said the Slavneft brand has to be sold and the company must retain only the functions of an oil production and processing unit.
"I often meet with German Khan (executive director of TNK-BP), but we never consider selling Slavneft or dividing it," Ryazanov said.
Gazprom bought a 72.66% stake in the former Sibneft from tycoon Roman Abramovich's investment company, Millhouse Capital, last September for $13.1 billion. Gazprom currently owns 75.679% of Gazprom Neft.
Russia's TNK and British BP merged in August 2003 into the third-largest oil producer in Russia.
