TOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) -

Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp ( MSBHF ) reported a

six-month net profit of 356 billion yen ($2.4 billion) on

Tuesday, down 42% from last year, due to a weaker Australian

steelmaking coal business and the absence of capital gains.

The company, in which Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK/A ) holds

a stake, kept its net profit forecast for the fiscal year ending

March unchanged at 700 billion yen.

Mitsubishi ( MSBHF ), a shareholder with Russia's Sakhalin-2 liquefied

natural gas project, would continue discussions with the

Japanese government and partners regarding its stake in the

asset, Chief Executive Katsuya Nakanishi said.

The U.S. last month

urged

Japan, along with other Russian energy buyers, to stop

imports, as it pushes the Kremlin towards ending the war in

Ukraine. Japan's long-term contracts with Sakhalin-2 cover about

9% of its LNG imports.

Major Japanese utilities

can

secure supplies elsewhere, from existing contracts to the

spot market, in an event of a supply halt, executives said last

week. Most of Japan's Sakhalin-2 supply contracts expire between

2028 and 2033.

($1 = 150.7800 yen)