YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed freeing up energy for Japan by increasing gas supplies to Europe and offered Japanese companies a slice of Siberia's gas industry.
Putin, paramount leader of the world's biggest energy producer, offered Japanese companies stakes in two Siberian gas fields which have total reserves of about 3.2 trillion cubic metres (tcm), more than the world's annual gas consumption.
Putin said Gazprom was ready to up gas deliveries to Europe by 60 million cubic metres (mcm) per day to allow more liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes to go to Japan.
"We will increase deliveries of pipeline gas to Europe while LNG tankers destined for Europe (can) turn around and head for Japan instead," Putin told a meeting in the Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 1,000 km (600 miles) north of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
Russia will raise the proposal with the European Union in the near future, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"This is a case when the coordination of efforts by the global economic community is required," Peskov said. Russia supplies about a quarter of Europe's gas needs.
Putin said 60 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas per day would free up about 40,000 tonnes of LNG, so that additional LNG could be diverted to Japan.
"It is possible to do immediately, right now. Such large scale swap operation between Russia and the European Union will provide real help for Japan," Putin said.
Putin said Japanese companies could discuss buying stakes in Eastern Siberia's Kovykta gas field, which holds over 2 tcm of gas, and the Chayanda field in Yakutia, which has reserves of about 1.2 tcm.
Since Japan's devastating earthquake, Putin has ordered officials to speed up the development of energy projects in the Far East to cope with future demand from Japan.
Putin has also ordered faster work to build a 5-million tonne per year refinery in the Far East.
Gazprom is planning to speed up work on the Sakhalin-3 energy project and the Energy Ministry plans to speed up the oil pipeline which takes Eastern Siberian crude to Kozmino.
(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski; Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)