HANOI / Reuters Tension in the South China Sea will hurt PetroVietnam’s offshore exploration and exploitation activities this year, the state-run oil and gas group said on Tuesday, weeks after the Southeast Asian nation suspended a project under pressure from China. Vietnam and China have been embroiled in maritime disputes in parts of the busy waterway, where China claims 90 …

HONG KONG / Reuters CEFC China Energy has been hit by legal action from a creditor, even as the cash-strained conglomerate’s biggest financial backer, China Development Bank (CDB), is attempting to dissuade lenders from taking action, sources said. State-backed China Everbright Bank Co has filed multiple lawsuits against CEFC (Shanghai) International Group Co, a CEFC subsidiary, in a Shanghai court …

LONDON / Reuters The United Nations has blacklisted a North Korean ship for receiving oil in an October transfer that breached UN sanctions, as first revealed by Reuters. Reuters in December reported that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea, which relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning, by transferring cargoes at sea. European security sources …