BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhuanet) -- China will have 10 offshore gas and oil blocks to invite cooperation from foreign partners this year, said a leading Chinese energy supplier.

    The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) said on its website that a total of 66,666 square kilometers sea areas will bemade available for cooperation between CNOOC and foreign companies.

    With water depth ranging from 10 to 200 meters, the 10 blocks are located in Bohai Bay, South Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the east and the west of the South China Sea areas.

    In a cooperation notice, CNOOC said it will have a data room open from March 8 to the date it announces the fields available for foreign cooperation in 2006 to help foreign companies prepare their bids.

    The data room will include units for seismic data, well packages, logging data, research data and map, said the notice. Enditem