Reliance, which last December gained equity in an offshore block in the Gulf of Oman, was talking with African states Nigeria, Chad, Angola, Ghana, Cameroon, Congo and Gabon, as well as with the Latin American countries of Venezuela and Brazil, said Business India.

RIL was also having discussions with countries that already exported crude oil to its 33-million-tonne refinery at Jamnagar in the Gujarat, including the Middle Eastern states of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen where the company already had a 20% stake in an exploration block.

The paper quoted an un-named RIL official as saying Reliance wanted to become a fully integrated energy firm with upstream interests complementing its existing downstream refining and marketing facilities.

Indian firms are acquiring oil and gas properties abroad to provide energy security as the country imports over 70% of its crude oil requirements and about half its natural gas needs.