UPDATE 1-RWE says it will develop, deliver Turkmenistan gas

* RWE, Turkmenistan discuss direct gas shipments to Europe

* RWE to explore one of Turkmenistan's Caspian blocks

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ASHGABAT, April 16 (Reuters) - Germany's RWE AG (RWEG.DE) signed an agreement with Turkmenistan on Thursday allowing the company to develop an offshore gas block and seek new ways to deliver Turkmen gas to Europe.

RWE is a shareholder of Nabucco, a planned EU-backed pipeline designed to ease Europe's dependence on Russia for its gas needs. Russia is the main buyer of Turkmen gas and opposes the Nabucco project.

"Amongst other things, the parties have agreed upon investigating and discussing first direct deliveries of natural gas from Turkmenistan to Germany and Europe," RWE said in a statement.

RWE Chief Executive Juergen Grossmann visited the former Soviet state on Thursday to sign the agreement and meet Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.

"There are several options (how to ship Turkmen gas to Europe) and one of them is through the Caspian sea and we will work on it," Grossmann told reporters through an interpreter.