PetroChina takes over 100 service stations near India-Myanmar border

Tension rises as the move comes a week after a local resistance group attacked China-backed oil and gas pipelines in the Mandalay region of Myanmar.

PetroChina has moved forward with the takeover of several service stations located near the Myanmar-India border. The state-owned petroleum company has acquired 119 locations in Myanmar amidst tension rising due to the company being targeted by the local guerrilla.

As reported by The Economic Times, the purchase comes one week after local resistance group Natogyi Guerrilla Force (NGF) attacked China-funded oil and gas pipelines located in the Mandalay region of Myanmar.

Earlier this year, another China-backed energy project was under attack from local guerrillas mere days after the Chinese foreign minister visited the country.

More than 50 of the acquired fueling sites were previously owned by a Singapore-based firm and a further 53 locations are in talks to be acquired in the near future.

These developments are linked to China’s support of Myanmar after its 2021 coup, when military forces seized power. Since then, western countries have withdrawn their support and China rose up as a major ally for the Junta, including the energy sector.

Currently, China is a major investor in Myanmar through several projects that include oil and gas pipelines, as well as infrastructure projects developed to grant it access to the Indian Ocean.