HOUSTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Guyana's energy minister

said on Tuesday that a 12-month contract for marketing the

government's share of oil produced by a consortium led by Exxon

Mobil ( XOM ) could be extended soon as prices previously negotiated

give the country a premium over market prices. The government is

in talks and waiting for an assessment to make a decision,

minister Vickram Bharrat said.