Another 50-60 Russia banks may fall in 09-official

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, July 9 (Reuters) - A further 50-60 Russian banks are likely to lose their licences before the end of 2009, the head of the country's deposit insurance agency said on Thursday.

Russia's 1,100-plus banks have been hit hard as asset quality deteriorates and the economy faces its first contraction in a decade.

Alexander Turbanov, who heads the agency charged by the state with bailing out troubled banks, told a banking conference that his agency would likely take control of another 15-20 banks this year, in addition to those set to lose their licenses.

"We still have 85 billion roubles ($2.70 billion) and we do not think we need more money even if things go worse," he said.

Central bank Chairman Sergei Ignatyev has said the chances of Russia facing a second-wave banking crisis were "negligible" but a prominent banker Pyotr Aven has forecast hundreds of small banks will fall as overdue loans rise [ID:nLR556212].

Russia's banking system is a quite segmented, with the bulk of total assets concentrated among the 100 biggest lenders.

Some 30 banks have already lost their licences since August last year, mainly due to a lack of capital or for violations of the law on money laundering.

(Reporting by Denis Pinchuk, writing by Dmitry Sergeyev; Editing by David Cowell)