Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Chinese petroleum producers expanding inorganically

Sinopec today announced a tender offer for Addax Petroleum of Switzerland. Addax management has okayed and recommended the deal to shareholders. Addax has some valuable assets in West Africa and Iraq, both areas where GET has been extending our business, and so of particular interest to us.

Seems like the dragon's expansion is likely to continue, as predicted in a previous post by Ian Rushby. Will there be a nationalist pushback like the Rio Tinto or CNOOC- Unocal deal, or would the invisible hand of the market triumph?