ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, is in talks to set up a refinery in Nigeria even as Indian companies look at sourcing LNG from African nations.

"In efforts to broad-base our activities, OVL is discussing setting up a greenfield refinery in Nigeria," Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said at the second India-Africa Hydrocarbon Conference here on Monday. Though Deora did not give details, officials said he was referring to the proposal of OVL to build a 180000 barrels per day refinery along with steel baron Lakshmi N Mittal in return for oil blocks.