Peru eyes price floor for natural gas exports

LIMA, July 5 (Reuters) - Peru, which started exporting liquefied natural gas two weeks ago, may establish a price floor to ensure the price charged for natural gas exports is not cheaper than what domestic consumers pay, President Alan Garcia's chief of staff said on Monday.

"Improving the natural gas export contract has been authorized so that in no cases will the price for exports be less than the domestic," Javier Velasquez, Garcia's chief of staff, told reporters.

"The proposal made by the mines and energy ministry has to deal with establishing a price floor."

Peru's first exports of liquefied natural gas went to Mexico. The consortium that operates the exporting project includes U.S.-based Hunt Oil, Repsol-YPF (REP.MC), South Korea's SK Energy 09677.KS and Japan's Marubeni (8002.T). Repsol is in charge of shipping the gas.

Repsol-YPF officials in Peru were not immediately available for comment on the plan.

Velasquez's comments come days after Garcia said he thought the country should look into revising some clauses of the contracts that relate to prices.

Garcia's predecessor, Alejandro Toledo, signed the export contracts and many Peruvians have protested against shipping energy resources abroad. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Terry Wade; Editing by David Gregorio)