Venezuela, China sign 16 bln dlr oil deal

Koji

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Venezuela, China sign 16 bln dlr oil deal | Defense & Security News at DefenceTalk

NAIGUATA, Venezuela: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced a 16-billion-dollar deal with China to drill for oil in the resource-rich Orinoco basin.
"Yesterday (Tuesday), a deal was signed in Beijing for the Orinoco basin. It sets out a Chinese investment of 16 billion dollars over the next three years," Chavez said at a public event.
He gave few details of the pact and did not name the Chinese companies involved, but said they would form a joint venture with state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to produce 450,000 barrels a day of extra heavy crude.
Venezuela, a founding member of the oil cartel OPEC and Latin America's top oil exporter, announced Saturday that it had signed a similar accord with a Russian consortium.
The deal will see the group of five Russian companies invest more than 20 billion dollars over three years, and gives them rights to drill for oil in the part of the Orinoco oil belt.
PDVSA said production with the Russian companies on the massive Junin 6 heavy crude block would begin by 2012. Junin 6 is estimated to hold 53 billion barrels of heavy crude, making it one of the world's largest reserves.
That joint venture -- with the Russian companies Rosneft, Lukoil, Gazprom, TNK-BP and Surgutneftegaz -- is also expected to produce 450,000 barrels a day by 2012, Chavez said.
The firebrand leftist leader Wednesday hailed the two deals saying the total would boost production by 900,000 barrels a day which would be marketed along with Russian and Chinese companies.
"In addition, there will be a flood of technology into the country, with China going to build drilling platforms, oil rigs, railroads, houses," Chavez said.
Chavez has said that during his recent visit to Moscow he signed the joint venture that would give PDVSA a 60-percent stake in the enterprise, with the remaining 40 percent to the consortium.
The deal foresees investments of nearly 30 billion dollars in the project, Chavez said on his radio show, "Alo Presidente," on Sunday.
Oil-rich Venezuela claims current proven reserves of some 142.3 billion barrels, but Venezuelan experts believe the Orinoco basin could hold an additional 235 billion barrels.
 

Martian

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Has India approached Venezuela for a comparable multi-billion dollar deal? If China and Russia have deals with Venezuela, shouldn't India join the party?
 

K Factor

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India usually doesn't deal with corrupt and dictatorial regimes. Chavez is on top of the list. :p
 

Martian

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But I thought India needed more oil. Since you mentioned "corrupt and dictatorial regimes," would Saudi Arabia fit your description?
 

K Factor

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Come on now, Saudi Arabia is better than Venezuela. I thought you would be knowing better, with USA having close buddy ties with SA, and being at loggerheads with Chavez. :wink:
 

Martian

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I think the U.S. supported the opposition party and tried to move Chavez out of office. I believe that's the reason that Chavez is angry at the U.S. However, as far as I know, there is no animosity between Venezuela and India.

They say that countries don't have friends, only interests. Isn't it in the interest of India to procure more oil? After all, the U.S. is the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil. See Venezuela (07/09)

"The U.S. is the single most important customer for Venezuelan oil. Venezuela shipped an average of 1.2 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products ..."
 

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