Russian energy giant will team up with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) to build 300 gasoline stations in China, in a move to tap China's huge gasoline market.

A joint venture has been established between Rosneft, Russian's largest oil supplier, and CNPC that will set up around 300 gas stations and process 10 million tons of crude oil a year, Rosneft announced in Beijing Friday.

The CNPC will own 51 percent the company and Rosneft the remainder, said President Sergei Bogdanchikov.

He told Xinhua that the 300 service stations will use gas from China or Russia depending on which is less expensive.

Shell, Total and Exxon-Mobile have also set up joint venture filling stations in China, vying for a slice of the country's refined oil market that have been pledged to be fully open to foreign competition by the end of 2006.

Rosneft's combined oil supply to China in 2006 will total 12.5 to 13 million tons.

Rosneft is projected to transmit 1.5 million tons of oil to China through the Atasu-Alataw Pass pipeline linking China and Kazakhstan.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2006)