French utility GDF Suez (GSZ.FR) Monday unveiled a deal with Dutch peer Essent NV to supply it with natural gas directly from a North Sea field in which it has a stake.

GDF Suez and Swedish independent oil and gas company Lundin Pertoleum AB (LUPE.SK) are to sell their shares of the field's natural gas output to Essent once the E17-A field in the Dutch North Sea comes on line at the end of 2009, the three companies said in a joint statement.

A GDF Suez spokesman said the deal, which will run for around eight years, allows the company to sell all of the gas from its 34.7% share of the field's output in one go and gives it long-term visibility on revenues.

-By Adam Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 40171756; adam.mitchell@dowjones.com

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