From Hard Assets Investor:

When it comes to crude oil, Nigeria and Angola aren't exactly household names like, say, Saudi Arabia. Yet these two West African countries are currently the fifth and sixth top exporters of crude oil to the U.S., exporting 668,000 bpd and 504,000 bpd, respectively.

But Americans aren't the only ones buying up African crude. Guess who else wants to poach our sources?

China, of course.

China's thirst for oil is on the rise; the International Energy Agency forecasts Chinese crude oil demand to grow to 8.3 million bpd for this year, only to increase to 8.6 million bpd in 2010. With domestic production basically flat, China must import almost two-thirds of the oil it needs, even as demand just keeps going up. Thus, the emerging giant has turned its eye toward Africa.

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