China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), China's largest oil producer, said on Friday would lend US$5 billion to the Kazakh state oil company.

CNPC said the loan to KazMunai Gas would be used for the joint purchase of a local company, MangistauMunaiGas, a major oil developer in Kazakhstan.

KazMunaiGas agreed in January to buy 52 percent of MangistauMunaiGas.

Terms of the loan were not disclosed.

China has signed other, similar loan-for-oil deals this year.

In February, it agreed with Russia on a long-term loan of US$25 billion in exchange for 300 million tonnes of oil piped from Russia between 2011 and 2030.

Brazil agreed in February to supply 60,000 to 100,000 barrels of crude per day to Chinese refineries, along with an agreement for a US$10-billion loan from the China Development Bank.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2009)