The French oil company Total SA is very interested in the exploration for shale gas that is now taking place in China and is talking with China's Sinopec Group about a possible drilling project in East China's Anhui province, said Bertrand de La Noue, general representative of Total, in China on Thursday.

"Total has been involved in shale gas exploration for a few years in the US," he said, adding that Total is drilling in Argentina, and prospecting in Poland and Denmark.

Although foreign companies are not included in the second public tender being held for the right to prospect for shale gas, Total is willing to cooperate with Chinese companies and tell them about its experiences in the US, he said.

His remarks came at an opening ceremony for the "Journey of Harmonious Energy", a national touring exhibition organized by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, China News Service and Total.

China's Ministry of Land and Resources later this year will open a second public tender for the sale of the right to prospect for shale gas in an attempt at satiating the country's increasingly large appetite for energy. Media and industry insiders expect the bidding process to start as early as late July.