BEJAIA, Algeria, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Algerian state energyfirm Sonatrach is in talks with 14 international firms for ajoint venture to trade oil and gas products after agreeing tobuy its first overseas refinery, its CEO said on Thursday.
"I am happy to say that 14 firms are on the list to do a JVon trading with us," Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour told reportersduring a visit to the port city of Bejaia, without givingdetails or names.
The trading JV will also include gas sales.
Potential partners, which have held talks with Sonatrach inrecent weeks, include BP, Total, Royal DutchShell, Chevron, Repsol and Vitol, theworld's biggest independent oil trader, sources told Reuterslast month.
Sonatrach's move to form a venture is one of several stepsaimed at easing the burden of its hefty fuel import bill thattripled year-on-year in 2017 to a record $2.5 billion.
Sonatrach earlier this year reached a deal to buy ExxonMobil's 175,000 barrel-per-day Augusta refinery in Sicily.
Kaddour also said Sonatrach had received a request fromExxon Mobile to work on petrochemicals.
"They want to do business with us on petrochemicals, this isgood news because Sonatrach has become more attractive," hesaid, without giving details.(Reporting by Lamine ChikhiEditing by Ulf Laessing/David Evans)