OREANDA-NEWS  If Russian coal enterprises manage to increase coal exports, and the price situation persists, the industry's losses next year may fall to 100 billion rubles. Dmitry Islamov, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Energy, told about this on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week forum, TASS reports.

He acknowledged that the break-even operation of enterprises is hardly possible, but even this result would be a significant improvement in the situation.

The Ministry of Energy expects that this year the loss of coal miners before taxation will reach 324 billion rubles, and the share of unprofitable companies — 70 percent. However, Islamov clarified that the latest estimate is 300-310 billion rubles. This result will be noticeably better than 420 billion rubles of losses a year earlier.

Nevertheless, it is too early to make forecasts for the coming year. Rising coal prices and the need for it in the world are directly related to the conflict in the Middle East and rising oil prices.

In September, when oil exports from the Persian Gulf countries began to recover, Russian coal exports by sea decreased by 17.4 percent compared to August. The almost complete shutdown of shipping in the Black Sea, through which coal was shipped to Turkey, also played a role due to mutual attacks on Russian and Ukrainian vessels.