* BP to seek onshore oil deal after failed Arctic deals
* British major to offer skills and technology to Rosneft
* Might be interested in Russia's shale reserves
By Melissa Akin
ST PETERSBURG, June 20 (Reuters) - BP Chief ExecutiveBob Dudley said the British major would look at directparticipation in "really difficult" Russian onshore oil ventureswith Rosneft, which already has an exploration dealwith ExxonMobil.
Rosneft confirmed at an annual general meeting on Thursdaythat Dudley would have a seat on its board after BP'sacquisition of a 20 percent stake earlier this year.
BP lost previous exploration deals focused on Russia'sArctic offshore fields to Exxon. Statoil and Eni also have exploration ventures in the Arctic.
"The Arctic projects are for the next decade. Onshore can bedone earlier," Dudley said, noting that BP effectively owned 20percent of Rosneft's stake in the joint exploration ventures.
He also said BP might be interested in tapping some ofRussia's shale oil reserves, a focus of interest for Exxon.
Russia has some of the world's largest shale and other tightoil resources, but they remain largely untapped as it is worksits way through conventional reserves and as high taxes makeunconventional plays unprofitable.
Rosneft sees its shale plays as a way to attract newproduction technology, which has put the United States, theworld's largest petroleum consumer, within reach of selfsufficiency.
After a long period of isolation which some analysts saw astantamount to resource nationalism, Rosneft first opened itsdoors to a foreign major when BP agreed to an initialexploration and share swap deal with the Russian state company.
That deal drew objections from BP's partners in ventureTNK-BP, ultimately triggering BP's exit and its tie-up withRosneft, but ExxonMobil had already snatched the acreage soughtby BP in the Kara Sea, then further parcels in the Laptev Seaearlier this year.
BP would look to deploy its own skills and technology,including waterflood management technology, as part of apotential deal for direct participation in an exploration orproduction venture with Rosneft.
Waterflood management is a pervasive problem for Russia'solder fields, especially those previously owned by TNK-BP, aswell as a few remote new fields.
BP (BP.)
