French oil company Total SA says its second-quarter profit jumped 43 percent thanks to rising production and improving refinery activity after a rough 2009.

European firms like Italy's Eni SpA and France's Total SA already had substantial operations in Libya, and the case added to mistrust between Beijing and Tripoli.

Mark Gilman, an analyst at Benchmark Capital, says Exxon may be behind competitors such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Total sa, which have both exploration and refining operations.