Cnooc may have to cede control of rigs near base for Nexen deal

China’s biggest offshore oil and gas producer may have to give up control of drilling platforms 50 miles from a major US military base to win government approval for its US$15.1 billion purchase of Canada’s Nexen.

A US panel reviewing the national security implications of the deal may be seeking to curb access by Cnooc Ltd., which is controlled by the Chinese government, to those Nexen platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, said Stewart Baker, a former US Homeland Security Department official.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1099753/cnooc-may-have-cede-control-rigs-near-base-nexen-deal