China Petrochemical Corp., known as Sinopec Group, is in preliminary talks to explore for oil and gas off the northwest coast of Iceland, the state-run China Daily reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed source from Sinopec.
The talks involve a subsidiary known as Sinopec Star Petroleum Co. and the Icelandic government, the source said, according to the newspaper.
Earlier this month, China National Offshore Oil Corp. said it was partnering with Iceland's Eykon Energy to apply for a license to explore for oil off Iceland's shores.
In April, Iceland's foreign minister told The Wall Street Journal that Sinopec was involved in preliminary talks to cooperate on a study of offshore oil exploration in Iceland's northeast coastal waters.
The region, known as the Dreki area, potentially holds vast crude-oil reserves and Icelandic officials have already granted permission to Norwegian and U.K. companies to explore some of the territory.
