Malaysian state company Petronas has agreed to sell a 15% stake in its proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG export facility to be sited in British Columbia, and a 15% stake in the upstream shale assets designated to feed the plant to Chinese state-controlled Sinopec. Taking a page from Japan’s LNG supply playbook, which has companies secure equity stakes in each segment of the value chain, Chinese utility Huadian Corp. will take a 5% stake in the plant and a portion of the volumes sold. “Huadian is the first Chinese power company to invest in a North American shale gas project.” [Reuters]

Mexico’s Pemex is getting major tax relief as part of the country’s energy sector reforms that after 75 years allow international companies to operate in oil development activities. “The additional legislation also proposes the gradual reduction of state-owned Pemex’s tax burden, which currently funds about a third of the government budget, Finance Minister Luis Videgaray said. Weaning government funding off Pemex’s earnings is a key element of the Dec. 20 law approved by Pena Nieto that ended the company’s 75-year state oil monopoly to allow for foreign companies to develop oilfields in Mexico. The new tax regime will increase Pemex profits three- or four-fold, Videgaray said today. The tax structure will be ‘highly progressive’ and provide Pemex the financial space to be able to compete with private energy firms, he said.” [Bloomberg]

Former FERC Chair and partner at law firm Stole Rives Jon Wellinghoff has been appointed to the advisory board at energy management solutions company Daintree Networks. “At the federal and state levels, commercial energy efficiency regulations are coming online.  I look forward to helping Daintree continue on its high-growth path and increase adoption of its smart building energy management solutions that deliver compliance, along with significant energy savings and load management,” said Wellinghoff. [Stole Rives]