Party Investigates CNPC Executive Once Seen as Company's Next Leader

(Beijing) – An executive at China National Petroleum Corp. who oversaw the building of pipelines sending natural gas from the country's west to its east and who was tipped to one day lead the oil giant has fallen afoul of Communist Party corruption busters.

Liao Yongyuan, the general manager of CNPC and the vice president of its listed subsidiary, PetroChina Co. Ltd., is being investigated for "seriously violating discipline and laws," the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said on March 16.