We are interested in the Russian market, though we are conducting no negotiations with Sibneft, the Bloomberg agency quoted M. Demare as saying.
Earlier, the Britain-based Financial Times newspaper wrote that Total confirmed its interest in purchasing Sibneft's controlling package of shares.
"We are certainly interested in the purchase but it is impossible now that the deal on Sibneft-Yukos merger has not been cancelled," the newspaper quoted Total Financial Director Castaigne.
According to the Financial Times, M. Castaigne said negotiations to purchase Sibneft shares began six years ago.
Total has assessed 25% of Sibneft shares plus one share to be worth $4 billion and intends to involve the Lehman Brothers investment bank as a consultant on this deal.
Earlier, this newspaper published an article saying that the French company, Total, had received a preliminary consent from the Russian authorities to buy 25% of Sibneft shares.
"Given Moscow support, Total will come ahead US companies ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil as well as the British-Dutch Royal Dutch/Shell company, which were interested in purchasing Sibneft shares too, the Financial Times believes.
The newspaper's source noted that the US administration had been extremely annoyed at the news.
Sibneft refused to comment on this information. "We are not commenting on market rumours," Sibneft spokesman Alexei Firsov, recalling that such information on the sale of Sibneft shares to foreign companies was earlier reported.
"Now the most important task is to complete the unwinding of the Sibneft-Yukos merger," added Firsov.
