BP shares extend gains on CEO comments on dividend

LONDON (Reuters) - Shares in BP (BP.L) extended gains on Thursday, up 3.4 percent after the oil major's Chief Executive Bob Dudley told the BBC that the company may resume paying a dividend in 2011.

"The board will get together and talk before the end of the year about restoring a dividend in some form in the first quarter," Dudley told the BBC.

"Its obviously for the board to decide, but from what I see happening in the performances of the businesses, I believe we will get there."

More than 37 million BP shares changed hands by 1345 GMT, compared with a daily average of 37.25 million shares in the past 30 days, according to Reuters data.

(Reporting by London stocks team)