Refinery no longer slated for frail delta

China's second-largest oil company, Sinopec Group, yesterday said it had amended plans for a $9 billion refinery in Guangdong province - stepping back from the idea of building on an environmentally-sensitive site.

The refinery, a joint venture with Kuwait, will now be built in Zhanjiang in Guangdong, said a company statement.

It was initially proposed for Nansha, in Guangzhou, which is in the heart of the densely populated Pearl River Delta.