British oil major BP is in talks with Chinese partners to build a large refinery in the country to meet the growing domestic demand for refined oil, according to media reports, which a source separately confirmed to China Daily yesterday.

BP is now negotiating with domestic companies to build a joint-venture refinery, Chen Liming, president of BP China told China Business News in Shanghai. Chen did not disclose which company BP was talking to for the project.

But a source close to the matter yesterday told China Daily that BP was working with China's oil majors PetroChina and Sinopec on the project, tapping three coastal cities.