China continues its foray on energy securing measures with its recent joint venture with French energy giant Total SA ((NYSE:TOT) to produce and refine shale gas.

Seeing how shale gas production has transformed the energy markets of the U.S., China's state-run Sinopec Group (SH:600028) took advantage of the French firm's decision to intensify their project expansions in emerging markets.

First reported by the Wall Street Journal, company filings by Total SA have confirmed the arrangement that would allow China to tap a lucrative but technically demanding extraction of natural gas in rock formations.

Total's chief executive Christophe de Margerie said in the interview with WSJ that the China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange now has 2% equity in Total.

Mr. De Margerie adds that if the China Investment Corp. still wants to acquire more, they are welcome to take more.

"It is good for a company to have a historical partner in your share capital," said Mr. De Magerie in WSJ at the sidelines of the International Energy Forum in Kuwait.

Last Tuesday, Total signed a memorandum of understanding with Kuwait Petroleum Corp to be partners in a Kuwait-China oil refinery joint venture.

This joint venture, according to a separate statement from Total, targets to put up a refinery complex worth no less than $10 billion that has a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, in addition to an envisioned petrochemical facility.

Kuwait will supply the crude oil to the planned refinery, which will be installed in the China's southern Guangdong province of Zhanjiang.