Jan 27 (Reuters) - PetroChina's 0857.HK PTR.N expanding international trading network will soon include the Middle East as it sets up a crude oil trading desk in Dubai and seeks to acquire or build an oil storage terminal there, industry sources told Reuters. [ID:nLDE60N06I]

The firm, Asia's largest oil and gas producer, is flexing its muscle across the world, making sure it is strategically placed to exploit new commercial business that leverages on its global upstream asssets and new refining capacity.

After a $1-billion deal announced last May for nearly half of Singapore Petroleum Co (SPC) in its first overseas downstream acquisition, PetroChina has been studying a possible investment in the 200,000 bpd Grangemouth refinery in Scotland owned by Britich chemical maker Ineos.

For a related factbox of impact on trading from PetroChina's Singapore refinery buy, click [ID:nSP496565]

Via its trading vehicle Chinaoil and overseas investment arm PetroChina International, the Chinese major is presently in talks to take over 5 million barrels of storage in the Caribbean, formerly leased by Saudi Aramco. [ID:nN30225998]

PetroChina is also expected to finalise a protracted deal to buy a 49 percent stake in Nippon Oil's 5001.T 115,000-bpd Osaka refinery.

Here are some facts about PetroChina's presence in the oil trading and downstream industries:

ASIA:

* Asia is its stronghold, with branches in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia. Singapore has the biggest trading team outside China.

* Chinaoil was the most active player on crude oil during the Asian Platts window last April, signalling its aim to become a major market force that will rival peer Unipec, the trading arm of Asia's largest refiner Sinopec 0386.HK . [ID:nSP440640]

* Traders: The number of traders in Chinaoil Singapore more than doubled to around 14 from just five to six at the end of 2005. In 2007, it set up a crude trading team in Singapore.

* Trading volumes: Total refined fuel trading volumes doubled from around 10 million tonnes in 2005 to 20 million tonnes in 2008. Crude oil stood at around 25 million tonnes in 2008.

* PetroChina has a 35 percent stake in Singapore's 2.32 million cubic metre Universal Terminal, which started operations early 2008. ---------------------------------------------------------------

EUROPE:

* Crude team of three in London, including two recent hires of Western traders, one of whom came from Chevron. Annual turnover is around 20 million tonnes.

* Starting products trading with a team of four, including 3 new hires of all Western traders, one of whom hails from trading house Glencore.

* It has its own equity oil to market and trade:

- CNPC, parent of PetroChina, owns 50 pct of a 100,000-bpd refinery in Khartoum.

- CNPC, the largest oil investor in Sudan, owns 41 percent of block 3/7 that produces Dar Blend crude, and 40 percent of the 1/2/4 field which produces Nile Blend crude. Total output of these two fields is around 450,000-500,000 bpd. --------------------------------------------------------------- -- UNITED STATES: * Trading desk in Houston now boasting a team of 10 that trades across the barrel, with key traders all Western except one Chinese.