China refiners agree 12 pct rise in 2010 Saudi imports

BEIJING/SINGAPORE Nov 20 (Reuters) - Chinese oil firms have agreed to buy a total of about 1.04 million barrels per day of crude from Saudi Arabia under a term pact finalised for 2010, roughly 12 percent above the 2009 contract level, trading sources told Reuters.

The pace of growth quickens from a rate of under 10 percent seen this year over 2008, as demand in the world's No.2 oil consumer looks poised to recover more on the back of China's solid economic expansion.

The 2010 amount includes about 200,000 barrels per day of supplies to Fujian Refining & PetroChemical Co Ltd (FREP), which is 25 percent owned by state-run Saudi Aramco. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu in Beijing and Judy Hua in Singapore; Editing by Jacqueline Wong) (aizhu.chen@reuters.com; +8610-6627 1211; Reuters Messaging:aizhu.chen.reuters.com@reuters.net)