Chinese oil giant Sinopec has agreed to acquire Canadian oil and gas exploration company Addax Petroleum Corporation in a deal valued at $8.27 billion Canadian (US$7.2 billion), which will give it access to oil reserves in West Africa and the Middle East. The takeover by Sinopec, formally known as China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, represents another strong move in a drive by Chinese energy companies to expand their overseas assets as the government pushes to secure the countryÔÇÖs future growth.