BP Selected For Exclusive Negotiations To Finalise Participation In China's First LNG I... - 0 views
-
dazz penrish on 09 Oct 12BP Selected For Exclusive Negotiations To Finalise Participation In China's First LNG Import Scheme http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=2001374 BP announced today that it has been selected to enter exclusive negotiations to secure the position as the foreign partner in the JV tasked to develop China's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and associated pipeline. The Chinese sponsors and BP will jointly conduct a Feasibility Study which, once approved by Chinese authorities, will lead to the formation of a JV company responsible for the construction and initial operating phase of the new plant. The Guangdong project in southern China will consist of an LNG re-gassification terminal near the city of Shenzhen, with a capacity of three million tonnes a year, together with 300 km of associated pipeline linking the terminal to the region in its first phase. It is due on stream in 2006. A successful finalisation of the negotiations will lead to BP taking a 30% equity stake in the project, partnering with a coalition led by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) (33%), local Guangdong companies (31%) and two Hong Kong energy companies (6%). "This is a significant new step in expanding our China operations, and an excellent strategic fit with our Asia-Pacific gas reserves," BP chief executive Sir John Browne said. "The Guangdong project will cement our position as a leading global partner for China's rapidly growing gas markets and provides a platform for further growth for the BP Group in the province of Guangdong. China is the world's largest energy market outside the U.S. with a market expanding with continued economic deregulation. As China moves to cleaner fuels, gas demand will increase more rapidly still, and we now have the strongest possible access to the markets being created by that growth." BP's Phase one investment is estimated at some $180 million. An anticipated Phase two expansion