Rosneft CEO fate in limbo as Kremlin groups fight

* Bogdanchikov contract expires on Tuesday

* Sources say he will stay until unspecified date

* Three to four candidates considered for the job

By Katya Golubkova

MOSCOW, June 29 (Reuters) - Russia's government failed to decide the fate of oil major Rosneft's (ROSN.MM) chief on Tuesday despite his contract expiry, signalling a Kremlin struggle over his successor is far from resolved.

Two industry sources close to the company told Reuters on Tuesday Sergei Bogdanchikov, the veteran chief executive, will remain in the lucrative post until a board meeting convenes at a later, unspecified date to decide his fate.

"The contract is extended for an unspecified period," one source close to the company said. Rosneft declined to comment.

Industry insiders have long predicted that Bogdanchikov's leadership of Russia's top oil producer had come to an end because he fell out of favour with top energy official Igor Sechin, a close ally of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Sechin serves as Putin's deputy and also chairs the state-run board of directors at Rosneft.

But Bogdanchikov, Rosneft's chief since 1998, has survived, thanks to the inability of rival political groupings to agree on successor who would suit them all.

Bogdanchikov, 52, has overseen a spectacular rise of Rosneft from a small oil producer into one of the world's largest oil firms with production of over 2.2 million barrels per day.

The rise came as the Russian government reasserted control over the oil industry which was lost during the chaotic privatisations of the 1990s under former President Boris Yeltsin and made Rosneft responsible for one fifth of output of the world's largest oil producer.

The expansion was propelled by acquiring the assets of oil firm YUKOS after the government bankrupted the giant producer and jailed its politically ambitious owners on charges of fraud and tax evasion.

Bogdanchikov also brought Rosneft to the market, helping the firm raise $10.6 billion via an initial public offering of shares in July 2006.

Since then the market has been regularly hit by rumours of an imminent merger between Rosneft and private oil producer Surgut (SNGS.MM), the country's fourth largest, with analysts saying Surgut's veteran head Vladimir Bogdanov could become the chief of the merged giant.

Russian media and analysts have also mentioned the names of deputy energy minister, Sergei Kudryashov, and Rosneft's vice president Sergei Tregub as potential candidates to replace Bogdanchikov.

"There are 3 to 4 candidates, including Kudryashov," a second source told Reuters on Tuesday. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by David Cowell)