ST. PETERSBURG, April 5. /TASS/. Gazprom Neft expects that the oil price will range from $80 to $100 per barrel this year, CEO of the Russian oil major Alexander Dyukov told reporters.

"The price this year will most probably be in the range from $80 to $100 per barrel. But again, it will depend on a large number of factors. The market is balanced at the moment; we do not see the oil deficit in the market," the chief executive said.

"The oil market is balanced at the moment. The challenging geopolitical situation in the Middle East definitely has a certain impact on prices. Nevertheless, the price in general is fair to date," Dyukov added.