Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia's largest oil companies may

receive permission from the government to gasoline exports until

the end of February, which will allow them run their refineries

at the maximum rate, the Kommersant newspaper reported on

Wednesday.

At the end of November, Russia's government lifted a

temporary ban on the bulk of gasoline exports supplied by

producers, while extending the restrictions for other exporters,

such as independent traders and re-sellers, until Jan. 31.

Citing unidentified sources familiar with the matter,

Kommersant reported that the government may extend the permit

for gasoline exports until Feb. 28.

The initial ban on gasoline exports was introduced in March

amid a sharp rise in wholesale fuel prices and the risk of a

shortage on the domestic market.

The ban does not include supplies to the Moscow-led Eurasian

Economic Union of some former Soviet states as well as

countries, such as Mongolia, with which Russia has

inter-governmental agreements on fuel supplies.

The top gasoline producers in Russia are Gazprom Neft's

Omsk refinery, Lukoil's NORSI oil refinery

in Nizhny Novgorod and Rosneft's Ryazan refinery.