Feb 11 (Reuters) - Guyana's government gave a 30-day

notice to CGX Energy ( CGXEF ) and Frontera Energy ( FECCF ) for

cancellation of their joint venture's license for the Corentyne

block, the Canadian energy companies said on Tuesday.

While the companies did not mention why the government

issued the notice, the South American nation has earlier

expressed a lack of confidence in the firms being able to find a

financial partner for their project.

The government plans to cancel the petroleum agreement with

the joint venture along with the license and said in the letter

that it saw no "reasonable grounds" to grant any extensions.

However, the letter asked the joint venture to submit

representations to the government before February 22 for them to

reconsider whether to not cancel any license.

The license will cease to have effect on March 10, unless

the representations are favorably considered by the government,

the letter said.

Guyana's oil industry is currently dominated by a consortium

led by Exxon Mobil ( XOM ), and development of the Corentyne

field has been as an attempt to diversify the country's

dependence on the U.S. major.

It is also the only area Frontera and CGX have left in

Guyana after they returned two other blocks earlier.

Frontera and CGX Energy ( CGXEF ) said their license for the Corentyne

block remain in place and the petroleum agreement had not been

terminated.

"Notwithstanding the foregoing, the joint venture is

assessing all legal options available to it to assert its rights

and will respond to the Government," they said.