Oil and gas resources of Iraq and their influence on China''''s energy security strategy

With abundant oil and gas resources,Iraq has more than112.5billion barrels of explored oil reserves and110trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.It is a focal point for regional security issues.Over55percent of China's oil imports in2001came from the Middle East.The intense situation in the Middle East will directly affect the supply of oil and gas to China and also threaten China's energy security strategy.On the basis of an analysis of the production,exports,oil field distribution,cooperation,oil ex-port pipelines and refining in Iraq,combined with China's actual oil situation,this paper discusses its in-fluence on China's energy security strategy.The authors think that while ascertaining the true petroleum situation of our country,strengthening petroleum exploration work in China,including the strategic selec-tion of prospect areas of petroleum resources,increasing geological reserves of oil and raising oil production capability at home ,it is necessary to develop oil markets of Central Asia-Russia,Middle East-Africa and South America actively,import oil from multiple sources and reduce the degree of dependence of oil im-port from the Middle East.