CNPC Suspends 'Big Foot' Talks With Chevron
中国石油天然气集团公司(CNPC)暂停了与雪佛龙公司(Chevron Corp.)就收购墨西哥湾一处油田股权的谈判。中石油集团显然认为它理当获得一桩更好的交易，原因是2007年时它允许雪佛龙与其合作开发中国最大的天然气田之一。中石油在墨西哥湾油田的持股将是中国石油企业的一次胜利。中国石油企业表示，自2005年中国海洋石油有限公司(CNOOC Ltd.)以185亿美元收购加州联合石油公司(Unocal Corp.)的计划在美国的政治反对声中失败以来，他们就被关在了投资美国公司的大门外。相反，雪佛龙最后却收购了加州联合石油公司。此后，中国企业就将重心转向了委内瑞拉等国。Associated Press一名工人在中石油兰州炼油厂检查管道中石油集团一位管理人士说，雪佛龙上个月向公司提供了新奥尔良以南Big Foot深海油田的技术数据，提议可能向其出售该油田12.5%的股权。这位要求匿名的管理人士说，公司与雪佛龙的谈判已经暂停。公司希望购得的股权超过雪佛龙打算出售的12.5%。雪佛龙持有Big Foot油田60%的股权。挪威国家石油公司(StatoilHydro ASA)和荷兰皇家壳牌有限公司(Royal Dutch Shell Plc)分别持股27.5%和12.5%。如果雪佛龙出售12.5%的股权，它的持股将降至47.5%。雪佛龙一位发言人说，公司目前未就全部或部分出售所持Big Foot股份展开任何谈判。他未对此前与中石油就这座油田的接触发表评论。记者无法联系到中石油发言人就此发表官方评论。中国国有石油巨头目前正加紧搜寻石油和天然气资产，因为受信贷市场紧缩和油价较去年高点下跌100美元/桶影响，眼下这类资产估值偏低。中国的原油需求有一半依靠进口。目前尚无法获得有关Big Foot油田股权交易价格的细节。近几个月来，中国在资源领域的交易引发了一系列的反应。由中国政府支持的国有企业正寻求澳大利亚政府批准总额超过220亿美元的资源领域交易，其中包括中国铝业公司和力拓公司(Rio Tinto PLC.)之间价值195亿美元的投资协议，这引发了澳大利亚政府呼吁参议院对外国投资进行调查。反对者指出，中国缺乏互惠的政策，除了与国有企业建立合作伙伴关系之外，外资公司很难在中国达成并购交易。中国商务部周三以对竞争产生不利影响为由驳回了可口可乐公司(Coca-Cola Co.)出价24亿美元收购中国汇源果汁集团有限公司的提议，这给批评人士提供了更多口实。这位中石油管理人士说，雪佛龙愿意出让Big Foot部分股权是因为这家美国公司2007年成功取得了位于中国四川省的川东北天然气田的开采权。雪佛龙与中石油集团在该气田上签署了30年期的产品分成协议，这是迄今为止中石油与外国合作伙伴合作开发的最大规模项目。这座气田占地800平方英里，储量估计为5万亿立方英尺（合1,420亿立方米）天然气。David Winning（更新完成）相关阅读利比亚插足 中石油收购Verenex添变数 2009-03-19力拓一股东对中铝参股计划提出异议 2009-03-17汇源交易被否决 外资信心恐受挫 2009-03-19 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年03月20日09:07', '600857.SH'));哈工大首创科技股份有限公司 （简称：工大首创）英文名称：HIT Shouchuang Technology Co.总部地点：中国大陆上市地点：上海证交所股票代码：600857document.write (truthmeter('2009年03月20日09:07', '601857.SH'));中国石油天然气股份有限公司(简称：中国石油)英文名称：PetroChina Co.总部地点：中国大陆上市地点：上海证交所股票代码：601857document.write (truthmeter('2009年03月20日09:07', '0857.HK'));中国石油天然气股份有限公司（简称：中国石油股份）英文名称：PetroChina Co.总部地点：中国大陆上市地点：香港交易所股票代码：0857document.write (truthmeter('2009年03月20日09:07', 'CVX'));雪佛龙公司英文名称：Chevron Corp.总部地点：美国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：CVXdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年03月20日09:07', 'PTR'));中国石油天然气股份有限公司（简称：中国石油）英文名称：PetroChina Co. (ADS)总部地点：中国大陆上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：PTRdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年03月20日09:07', 'CNPC.YY'));China National Petroleum Corp.总部地点：中国大陆
China National Petroleum Corp. suspended talks with Chevron Corp. over an oil-field stake in the Gulf of Mexico.CNPC apparently thinks it deserves a better deal in return for allowing the U.S. company access to one of China's biggest natural-gas fields back in 2007.A CNPC stake in the Gulf of Mexico would be a victory for Chinese oil firms, which say they have been shut out from investing in U.S. companies ever since Cnooc Ltd.'s $18.5 billion bid for Unocal failed in 2005 amid U.S. political opposition. Instead, Chevron ended up buying that company. Since then, Chinese firms have shifted their focus to nations including Venezuela.A CNPC official said Chevron last month provided technical data on the Big Foot deep-water oil field south of New Orleans, offering CNPC a possible 12.5% stake in the field. 'Talks with Chevron are currently on hold. We wanted more equity than the 12.5% stake it was proposing,' the official said on condition of anonymity.Chevron has a 60% interest in Big Foot. Norway's StatoilHydro ASA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have stakes of 27.5% and 12.5%, respectively. A stake sale of 12.5% would reduce Chevron's holding to 47.5%.'Chevron is not currently in any discussions on sale or partial sale of Big Foot,' said a Chevron spokesman. He didn't comment on any previous contact with CNPC regarding the field. A CNPC spokesman couldn't be reached for official comment.China's state oil giants have stepped up their hunt for oil and gas assets, taking advantage of low valuations triggered by tight credit markets and a $100-a-barrel plunge in oil prices from their peak last year. China imports half of the crude oil it uses.No details on the value of the Big Foot stake deal were available.China's deal-making in the resources sector in recent months has triggered a flurry of reactions. In Australia, the government is calling for a Senate inquiry into foreign investment as state-owned companies backed by Beijing seek Canberra's approval for more than $22 billion of resources deals, including a planned US$19.5 billion tie-up between Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. and Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto PLC.Opponents point to a lack of reciprocity in China, with foreign firms hard-pressed to clinch deals except in partnership with state-run firms. Critics were given further ammunition Wednesday when China's Ministry of Commerce blocked a $2.4 billion bid by Coca-Cola Co. for China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd. on competition grounds.The CNPC official said Chevron's willingness to farm out a stake in Big Foot was due to the U.S. company's successful bid in 2007 to develop the Chuandongbei natural-gas block in China's Sichuan province.Chevron signed a 30-year production-sharing contract with CNPC on the area, which is the largest the Chinese company has ever offered to a foreign partner. The 800-square-mile field has an estimated resource base of five trillion cubic feet of gas, equivalent to 142 billion cubic meters.David Winning
China National Petroleum Corp. suspended talks with Chevron Corp. over an oil-field stake in the Gulf of Mexico.CNPC apparently thinks it deserves a better deal in return for allowing the U.S. company access to one of China's biggest natural-gas fields back in 2007.A CNPC stake in the Gulf of Mexico would be a victory for Chinese oil firms, which say they have been shut out from investing in U.S. companies ever since Cnooc Ltd.'s $18.5 billion bid for Unocal failed in 2005 amid U.S. political opposition. Instead, Chevron ended up buying that company. Since then, Chinese firms have shifted their focus to nations including Venezuela.A CNPC official said Chevron last month provided technical data on the Big Foot deep-water oil field south of New Orleans, offering CNPC a possible 12.5% stake in the field. 'Talks with Chevron are currently on hold. We wanted more equity than the 12.5% stake it was proposing,' the official said on condition of anonymity.Chevron has a 60% interest in Big Foot. Norway's StatoilHydro ASA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have stakes of 27.5% and 12.5%, respectively. A stake sale of 12.5% would reduce Chevron's holding to 47.5%.'Chevron is not currently in any discussions on sale or partial sale of Big Foot,' said a Chevron spokesman. He didn't comment on any previous contact with CNPC regarding the field. A CNPC spokesman couldn't be reached for official comment.China's state oil giants have stepped up their hunt for oil and gas assets, taking advantage of low valuations triggered by tight credit markets and a $100-a-barrel plunge in oil prices from their peak last year. China imports half of the crude oil it uses.No details on the value of the Big Foot stake deal were available.China's deal-making in the resources sector in recent months has triggered a flurry of reactions. In Australia, the government is calling for a Senate inquiry into foreign investment as state-owned companies backed by Beijing seek Canberra's approval for more than $22 billion of resources deals, including a planned US$19.5 billion tie-up between Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. and Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto PLC.Opponents point to a lack of reciprocity in China, with foreign firms hard-pressed to clinch deals except in partnership with state-run firms. Critics were given further ammunition Wednesday when China's Ministry of Commerce blocked a $2.4 billion bid by Coca-Cola Co. for China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd. on competition grounds.The CNPC official said Chevron's willingness to farm out a stake in Big Foot was due to the U.S. company's successful bid in 2007 to develop the Chuandongbei natural-gas block in China's Sichuan province.Chevron signed a 30-year production-sharing contract with CNPC on the area, which is the largest the Chinese company has ever offered to a foreign partner. The 800-square-mile field has an estimated resource base of five trillion cubic feet of gas, equivalent to 142 billion cubic meters.David Winning