FACTBOX-Five facts about new Rosneft president Khudainatov

Sept 6 (Reuters) - A career oilman with links to some of Russia's biggest hydrocarbon projects, Eduard Khudainatov became president of Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft (ROSN.MM) on Monday. [ID:nWLA2176] [ID:nLDE68212Q]

The appointment of Khudainatov, until Monday the company's first vice president, came after President Dmitry Medvedev issued a direct order to the government of Vladimir Putin to appoint him -- a rare instance of overt Kremlin interference in corporate affairs.

Khudainatov has spent his career in and around the largest companies in the Russian oil and gas industry, and has never been linked to a single interest group. Following are five key facts about him:

* Khudainatov headed Rosneft's construction division as the company expanded into its new East Siberian frontier by tapping the giant Vankor field to supply Asia. "If there is a single person to credit with Vankor's success, it is Khudainatov," Vedomosti newspaper quoted a colleague as saying. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For a related Breakingviews comment, click on [ID:nGEE5B80VJ] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

* He is linked to another major greenfield project in the Russian hydrocarbons industry, having headed Gazprom's (GAZP.MM) Severneftegazprom division, the licence holder for the giant Siberian Yuzhno-Russkoye gas field, which is to supply the Nord Stream pipeline to Europe.

* He also served on the board of directors of engineering firm Stroytransgaz, one the Gazprom's main contractors.

* He was deputy mayor of Nefteyugansk, the heartland of now-defunct oil company YUKOS, when its mayor Viktor Petukhov, was assassinated.

* He testified for the defence at the trial of Alexei Pichugin, a YUKOS security service employee convicted of organising the murder of the mayor, according to Pichugin's website.

The key production unit of YUKOS, Yuganskneftegaz, was eventually transferred to Rosneft after an auction to recoup tax debts after its owner, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was convicted of tax fraud.

(Reporting by Melissa Akin; Editing by David Holmes)