Iraq’s Somo close to JV with China’s Zhenhua

beijing — Iraq’s state oil marketer Somo is close to a deal with China’s state-run Zhenhua Oil to boost the Opec member’s crude oil sales to the world’s top oil importer, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Iraq is the second-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec). The move will bolster Iraq’s position in Asia, the world’s biggest and fastest-growing oil-consuming region, which already takes 60 per cent its oil exports at some 3.8 million barrels a day (bpd).

“Zhenhua helped Iraq to penetrate the Chinese market and make more revenues for Iraq,” said a senior source familiar with the discussions on the deal, adding that a 50/50 proposed joint venture could be finalised in October or November. Another source said the deal was pending regulatory approvals.

It is not clear where the JV would be located, but two of the sources said the port city of Tianjin, near Beijing, was under discussion. Singapore is also among the options, they said.

China is under pressure to cut oil purchases from Iran, Opec’s third-largest producer, as the United States re-imposes sanctions on Tehran and threatens to choke off the Islamic republic’s oil exports to zero.

Amid the trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, it is also unclear whether Chinese importers will be able to continue to import US crude.

The Somo-Zhenhua deal would give China another crude supply option as the Iran and US oil flows are threatened.

Zhenhua’s relationship with Somo goes back to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s days, when the China-based parent company defence conglomerate Norinco, was among the first Chinese entities active in Iraq’s oil and gas exploration.