PetroChina and Indian Oil Corp failed to secure very large crude carriers to lift Iraqi Basrah crude in late June, company and shipping sources said on Thursday, while another Chinese major Sinochem is on the hunt for a tanker.
The enquiries from the Chinese state energy firms this week follow an interim deal between the United States and Iran to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for Middle East energy supplies.