Iraq, struggling to boost oil output, may hold a second round of bidding. Ruhl said it's "too early to tell" when asked if it will partner CNPC again as there is no formal announcement from Iraq yet.

Meanwhile, BP confirmed it's looking for an opportunity to build a refinery in China - where it doesn't have a presence - but it has yet to choose a partner, said Chen Liming, newly appointed president of BP China.

"Such a project must be integrated to BP's existing assets, close to the market and also could be linked to BP's (upstream) resource," Chen said.

BP has joint venture pump stations in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces partnering Chinese state oil companies and operates an equally owned ethylene plant, China's largest, in Shanghai.

(Shanghai Daily July 22, 2009)