Updates sourcing throughout to lead on EU spokesperson comments; adds data on gas storage and imports from para 7 onwards

By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS, March 2 (Reuters) - The European Commission does not expect the widening conflict in the Middle East to have any immediate impact on the European Union's security of oil and gas supplies, a spokesperson said on Monday.

Oil prices LCOc1 rose by 9% on Monday and benchmark Dutch wholesale gas prices rose more than 25%, after shipping in the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted by retaliatory Iranian attacks, following initial bombing by Israel and the U.S. that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Most tanker owners, oil majors and trading houses have suspended energy shipments via the Strait of Hormuz, trade sources said. The Strait is a conduit for more than 20% of global oil and around 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas.

"Our analysis is that there is no immediate security of supply concern for the European Union," a Commission spokesperson told a news conference.

EMAIL WAS SENT TO EU GOVERNMENTS

The Commission had already communicated its assessment of there being no immediate oil security of supply impact in an email to EU governments, reported by Reuters earlier on Monday.

In that email, Brussels also asked governments to share their assessments of the security of supplies by the end of the day.

The EU's oil coordination group will meet within 48 hours to assess the situation, the spokesperson said. That group facilitates coordination between EU governments in case of oil supply disruptions.

Europe is emerging from its winter heating season, when gas demand typically peaks. At 30% full, EU gas storage sites are 9% below filling levels this time last year, data from Gas Infrastructure Europe showed.

The Commission spokesperson said this was an adequate level to ensure storage can be replenished ahead of next winter.

"We're not taking any emergency measures or anything like this. There is no shortage, there is no emergency for gas. Gas imports are well diversified," the spokesperson said when asked about gas supplies.

Europe has increased imports of LNG as it seeks to phase out Russian gas following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022.

The U.S., which has become the EU's biggest LNG supplier, provided 58% of EU LNG last year. The bloc also sources smaller amounts from countries whose shipments have been affected by the Iran conflict.

The EU imported 6% of its LNG from Qatar in the third quarter of last year, the latest EU data show.