Canada's Talisman strikes oil in Peru

LIMA (Reuters) - Canada's Talisman Energy Inc has found light crude in an exploration bloc in northern Peru, President Alan Garcia said on Saturday, days after he announced a large natural gas find in an Amazon region.

Talisman (TLM.TO), Canada's third-biggest independent oil explorer, found the light crude deposit in the Maranon basin close to the border with Ecuador, Garcia told reporters.

"Talisman has found ... light crude that will be suitable for mixing with heavy crude to be able to transport it via pipeline," he said.

Garcia, who is facing calls to secure the Andean nation's future energy supplies, said earlier this week that Brazilian state energy firm Petrobras had found a large deposit of natural gas in the Peruvian Amazon.

However, the Brazilian company said on Friday it was still studying drilling results from lot 58 in an Amazon jungle region and was yet to estimate the size of the deposits.

Peru, which is trying to become a net energy exporter, is encouraging foreign companies to invest in the industry to boost production.

No one could immediately be reached at Talisman to comment.

(Reporting by Teresa Cespedes; Writing by Helen Popper, editing by Philip Barbara)