Ecuador looks to Iran and China in new oil refinery project
19-07-08 China and Iran are interested in investing in a $ 6-bn oil refinery Ecuador is building with Venezuelan help on the Pacific coast, President Rafael Correa said.
"That refinery is being built with (Venezuela's state giant) PdVSA although Iran and China also are interested," the Ecuadoran leader said.
The megaplant on the coast, on which Correa and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez broke ground, will be on line fully in 2013 and will be able to produce 300,000 barrels of oil per day. Correa said Iran could be involved and shrugged off any concern that might cause.
"Iran has a lot of experience in their oilfield, it has been a producer for a long time, almost a century... and China is the leading oil consumer, so we will have a guaranteed market," said Correa.
"Somebody may say: Iran, Axis of Evil. But what do I care what other countries think? We have to be masters of our own destiny. We have nothing against Iran. Iran has done nothing to us," Correa said.
Venezuela and Ecuadorare the Latin American members of OPEC.
Source: http://afp.google.com
