BEIJING, Nov 20: China's largest offshore oil producer has called for closer cooperation and better communication between non-Opec members, especially within the Asia Pacific, state media reported on Monday.

“Non-Opec oil suppliers, including Russia, South America, Africa and China should strengthen cooperation,” the 21st Century Business Herald quoted Fu Chengyu, the chairman of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, as saying.

“With the transformation of the global energy supply mix, the market share of Opec has been dwindling.” Fu also called for the establishment of “a unified oil supply and consumption mechanism in the Asia Pacific area to curb hostile competition.” Fu said establishing an Opec-like organisation in the Asia Pacific area would “surely help us better utilise our resources. Separately, Fu also noted that the company has signed an agreement with Vietnam National Oil Company to explore for oil and gas in the Beibu Bay area, where exploration had been stalled because of a border dispute.

The two companies plan to set up a working group next month and seek to begin exploration in March, Fu said.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries groups 11 of the world's major oil producing nations to safeguard their own interests. The only Asian member of Opec is Indonesia. —AFP