Gazprom Neft is considering acquiring companies in Western Europe, deputy chief executive Alexander Medvedev told Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview.
"Of course there is the option of investing in Western Europe," he said.
He declined to give details on potential takeover candidates.
Medvedev said he will meet this week with management of E.ON AG's unit E.ON Ruhrgas to negotiate the 25 pct stake E.ON seeks to acquire in the Siberian gas field Yushno Ruzkoje.
"There remains hope that we will come to an agreement in this difficult phase," he said.
He said that the market and regulatory situation in Hungary, where E.ON offered assets to Gazprom in return for the stake in Yushno Ruzkoje, did not develop as Gazprom had expected.
He declined to name assets that E.ON -- which he described as a "strategic partner not only in Germany but also in the whole of Europe" -- could offer instead.
Medvedev said he does not expect any delays in the construction of the 4 bln eur gas pipeline jointly constructed with E.ON and BASF under the Baltic Sea, after its planned route recently had to be changed.
(AFX News)