TAIPEI, July 22 (Reuters) - Taiwan's state-owned energy

company CPC Corp said it is not in talks for "specific" shale

gas fields in the United States, but it does not rule out any

prospective partners and will make the most favourable decision

based on its own evaluations.

CPC is in early stage discussions to buy shale-gas

producing assets in the United States, three sources familiar

with the matter told Reuters earlier this month, in a bid to

secure natural gas supplies to fuel Taiwan's economy.

In a statement late on Monday, CPC said U.S. shale gas has

long been an important target area for the company because of

its high quality, mature extraction technology and favourable

investment environment.

"CPC will not rule out any prospective partners and will

make the most favourable decision based on the evaluation

results," it said.

"As for reports that CPC is in the process of discussing the

acquisition of specific shale gas fields in the United States,

that is not true," the company added, without elaboration.

Taiwan has pledged to increase its purchase of energy from

the United States as a way of reducing its yawning trade surplus

and head off tariffs.

In March, CPC signed an agreement with Alaska Gasline

Development Corp to buy LNG and invest in the Alaska LNG project

which will transport gas south from Alaska's remote north via

pipeline, to be shipped as LNG to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.