Sources suggest that PetroChina might sell assets in Australia and Canada to stem its losses

According to two persons with knowledge of the matter, PetroChina may sell natural gas projects in Australia and oil sands in Canada to minimize losses and shift financing to more lucrative regions in the Middle East, Africa, and central Asia.

PetroChina's plan follows a similar strategy shift by a smaller state rival, CNOOC (NYSE:CEO) Ltd, which was prepared to abandon its operations in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States because of concern that these assets may become susceptible to Western sanctions.

The transactions are the outcome of an internal examination of PetroChina's global portfolio that began last year, according to two unidentified individuals who refused to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject.

As it does not own any oil and gas assets in the United States, unlike CNOOC, PetroChina's divestments are driven more by the assets' poor economics than by a fear of U.S. sanctions, but political tensions with Australia and Canada also played a part, they noted.

According to sources, the state-owned oil and gas firm intends to sell some of these assets, which have lost billions of dollars and are situated in uncompetitive locations, over the next two years.

"Australian gas assets Arrow Energy and Browse are among the top "negative assets" in PetroChina's global portfolio. According to one report, CNPC has a small competitive edge in this industry.

In 2010, PetroChina purchased Arrow Energy for $2.5 billion in a joint venture with Shell (LON:RDSa), marking its first investment in Australia's coal seam gas sector. It paid $1.63 billion in 2013 for BHP's investment in Browse, the largest undeveloped gas reservoir in Australia.

According to reports, the company is also contemplating selling its Canadian oil sands assets, MacKay River Oilsands and Dover (NYSE:DOV) Oilsands, owing to losses incurred from producing and processing bitumen. PetroChina declined to comment.

China's state-owned energy companies were among the most acquisitive in the industry during the beginning of the 2010s, as shown by CNOOC's $15 billion purchase of Canadian oil and gas company Nexen in 2013. However, they grew more subdued with the oil price fall in 2014-2015 and the government's financial audit.

In addition, economic worries may have caused PetroChina to reevaluate its acquisitions spree.

Arrow is PetroChina's most unprofitable offshore investment. If Browse receives final approval, it is unlikely to enter production until 2030 because to its technical complexity.

In 2020, Arrow made a final investment decision to construct the 5 trillion-cubic-foot Queensland Surat Gas Project. A dispute between PetroChina and Shell over the pricing of gas to a Shell-operated export facility reportedly caused the delay.

Arrow experienced losses of about A$3.3 billion ($2.29 billion) between 2018 and 2021, including A$2.2 billion in impairments.

When reached by Reuters, a representative for Arrow said, "The investment decisions of our shareholders are their responsibility, and Arrow would neither comment nor speculate on such topics."