China is set to grant a licence for imported oil to an independent refiner in the eastern province of Shandong, the country's powerful central planning agency said on Wednesday.

The licence will allow Shandong Dongming Petrochemical Group Co Ltd to use 7.5 million tonnes of imported crude a year, or 150,000 barrels per day, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement on its website.

The statement said the decision is "preliminary" and could be subject to change. Dongming would be the first independent to be granted a licence under new rules laid out in February to open up the industry to smaller players.

Dongming will shut does some outdated units, the statement said, as the government uses imported oil as an incentive to get refiners to cut less efficient capacity.

China, the world's second-largest oil consumer, regulates its oil imports via a quota system to ensure stable domestic supply.

The government has pledged to allow more private participation in the energy sector as part of a broader move to reform its clunky and inefficient state-owned sector.

State energy giants Sinopec Corp and PetroChina have dominated Chinese crude imports since an industry revamp in 1998, accounting for 90 percent of imports.

Last August, China's Guanghui Energy won a rare crude oil import licence from the government.

Reporting By Adam Rose and Judy Hua