By Sheila Dang

HOUSTON, Jan 7 - Hess CEO John Hess on Tuesday said he sees the oil market as closer to being balanced than oversupplied this year, despite worries about demand from China and greater production from U.S. and non-OPEC producers.

He offered an optimistic view of the shale oil market and Hess' own prospects in Guyana, in remarks to investors at the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech and Utilities Conference in Miami.

"Demand is a little more robust than people thought," said Hess, adding that the analysts were looking at projected inventory builds of a million barrels per day, which has been cut by half.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Houston)

((sheila.dang@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646-983-0894))