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Unocal is Optimistic in Protecting



Subject: Unocal  is Optimistic in Protecting Slorc From US Law

       Unocal is Optimistic in Protecting SLORC from the Danger of US Law 
Enforcement

                 Reuters, Wednesday, April 09, 1997 at 12:09

         WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuter) - Unocal Corp plans to open a 
headquarters office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this month as a base for 
looking at new ventures throughout Asia, Unocal President John Imle said 
Wednesday.
         The company, which recently sold off all of its U.S. refining 
and marketing assets to focus purely on exploration and production, is 
looking to expand its presence in Asia, where it already has big stakes 
in Myanmar and Thailand.
         Imle said he would be based in the Malaysia office, while the 
rest of the company's board would remain in the "twin headquarters" in 
Los Angeles.
         "The greatest opportunity for growth is outside the United 
States, and probably in Asia," Imle told reporters after speaking at a 
conference sponsored by International Petroleum Finance Co. and 
Enerfinance.
         "We have a number of initiatives under way, and we're talking on 
a project-by-project basis with a number of companies about joining 
alliances, being co-venturers in various projects," he said.
         Imle said Unocal was talking to Asian companies and non-Asian 
companies that are active in the area.
         He said the company was also interested in developments in 
Brazil. "We're watching the situation in Brazil very closely," he said. 
"We're very interested in the market for electrical power there."
         "We're also very interested in the potential opening of Brazil 
to private participation in the E&P (exploration and production) sector," 
he told reporters.
         Imle said Unocal was working hard to prevent the U.S. government 
from banning new investments in Myanmar. He said there were a lot of 
misconceptions about the company's Yadana natural gas project in Myanmar.
         "We're committed to staying in Myanmar as long as U.S. law 
allows that," he said. "We hope that we can avoid the sanctions bullet 
again this year."
         Imle said the company was being proactive in trying to convince 
the U.S. government that Unocal's presence in Myanmar was helping to 
improve the human rights situation in the country. Under a law passed 
last year, the Clinton administration is required to consider imposing 
economic sanctions on Myanmar if the military government steps up action 
against pro-democracy forces there.

      Copyright 1997, Reuters News Service