NAIROBI, Oct. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Kenya is negotiating with Chinese oil company CNOOC to kick-start fresh exploration of natural gas and oil explorations along the coastal strip of Lamu, which is believed to posses massive oil deposits, officials said here Thursday.

    Kenyan Energy Permanent Secretary Patrick Nyoike said an agreement with CNOOC Ltd to prospect for oil and gas in six blocks in the north and south of the country was in the making.

    "We have decided to negotiate with China because European firmsdelay and make very many demands before the actual exploration begins. We hope by mid next month we will be signing a production sharing contract for six blocks with CNOOC of China," Nyoike told a media briefing in Nairobi.

    Nyoike said the talks with CNOOC was part of Kenyan government's strategy to turn to the Far East for investment.

    CNOOC, also known as China National Offshore Oil Company, is China's top offshore oil producer.

    Kenya is a net importer of oil which accounted for 22.5 percentof total imports in the year to June 2005, according to statistics of Kenya's central bank. Enditem