Saudi Aramco said a cargo of Arabian crude has arrived at the Huizhou refinery operated by China National Offshore Oil Corp.
The groundwork for the delivery was laid through a 2016 memorandum of understanding on future crude supply and downstream cooperation.
Prior to an expansion configured to process sour Arab Gulf grades, the refinery in Guangdong province had no need for imported sour crudes, Aramco said (OGJ Online, Apr. 27, 2015).
“Aramco Asia will continue to support Chinese and other Asian refiners to have access to reliable Saudi crude,” said Nabil A. Al-Nuaim, president and chief executive officer of Aramco Asia.
Aramco said CNOOC is the third of China’s national oil companies to become a customer.