China's top oil and gas firm sacks four senior executives

Asia's largest oil and gas producer, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), today sacked four senior executives who were under investigation for "serious violations of discipline".
The four executives are Wang Yongchun, deputy general manager of the CNPC; Li Hualin, deputy general manager of the CNPC; Ran Xinquan, vice president of PetroChina and Wang Daofu, chief geologist of PetroChina.
The ruling Communist Party's CNPC committee said that the four have been relieved of party-related posts and corporate administrative posts and their job titles will be removed following due procedures.
The CNPC has appointed Liu Hongbin, Wen Qingshan, Zhao Zhengzhang and Zhao Wenzhi to take over their positions.

In another recent incident, Ling Shengjun, former general manager of the CNPC's Dalian branch, was sacked over three major fires at the branch since July 2010.