The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) may invest in building facilities for natural gas exploration and processing in Mozambique, said the director of the group’s international department, Wang Hongtao.

The investment, which will bring to fruition a memorandum between CNPC and the Mozambican government’s ENH in May, is dependent on completion of the research in an area of ​​the Rovuma basin.

A mission from the CNPC, led by President Wang Yilin, is currently in Mozambique to study the terms of cooperation between the two companies in the natural resources sector, including the construction of gas pipelines and a power production plan.

“We are partners with ENI and have a cooperation agreement with ENH, with the president of CNPC in Mozambique for discussions on this partnership and to assess the steps that come after the signing of the memorandum,” said the director, quoted by Mozambican daily newspaper Noticias.

“We cannot move forward without research being completed and we are working with our partner, ENI, to develop the block,” he added.

The CNPC is currently involved in 17 projects in the oil and natural gas sector, including, as well as Mozambique, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia and Algeria with production of over 16.71 billion tonnes in 2015. (macauhub)