CNPC Braces for Change in Sudan's Oil Fields

A recent referendum in Southern Sudan laid the foundation for a new nation and officially ended a 50-year civil war. But it also left major oil companies with assets in the region, including China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), in a state of uncertainty.

That's because Southern Sudan, whose independence from its northern parent Sudan is slated to be officially declared July 9, is home to most of the splitting nation's oil reserves, while most oil refineries and shipping facilities are located in the north.