Prokhorov backs $12.8 bln Norilsk stake sale

MOSCOW Feb 16 (Reuters) - Russian metals tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday supported the offer the Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel (GMKN.MM: Quote) made to buy out a 20 percent share from aluminium giant RUSAL (0486.HK: Quote) for $12.8 billion.

Last week, Norilsk offered to buy a 20 percent stake in itself from RUSAL for $12.8 billion, which would leave the aluminium giant -- majority owned by tycoon Oleg Deripaska -- with a 5 percent stake, and gave a deadline of March 4.

"I think it's profitable for RUSAL to accept the offer on the 20 percent sell off in Norilsk," Prokhorov, a RUSAL co-owner, said in a statement carried out by his Onexim group.

The offer comes just a month and a half after Deripaska -- locked in a bitter battle over strategy and dividends with Norilsk management and quarter-owner Vladimir Potanin -- refused to sell RUSAL's entire 25 percent stake for $13 billion.

"The situation, obviously, is in a deadlock, and one of the sides has to make a decision to exit... Onexim will support the offer," said Prokhorov, who had voiced his support to the idea of the stake sell in the past.

The market has been looking for a sale of RUSAL's stake to end a long-running shareholder feud at the world's top producer of nickel and palladium. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; editing by Marguerita Choy)