Exxon Mobil plans to hand operations of a multibillion-dollar oil project to the Venezuelan state before a May 1 deadline imposed by President Hugo Chavez， industry sources said Thursday.

　　Chavez this week signed a decree for the government to take a majority stake in four heavy crude upgrading projects in the Orinoco basin by May 1.

　　The move shows Exxon complying with Chavez's order to cede control of the Cerro Negro project despite doubts over whether private companies will in fact meet Chavez's ambitious deadline.

　　據(jù)石油工業(yè)界消息稱，埃克森－美孚計(jì)劃在5月1日前，將一個(gè)價(jià)值高達(dá)數(shù)10億美元石油項(xiàng)目的經(jīng)營(yíng)權(quán)移交給委內(nèi)瑞拉政府。

　　查維斯在上周簽署了一項(xiàng)政府法令，要求在今年5月1日前收回4個(gè)在奧里諾科河盆地的主要重質(zhì)石油生產(chǎn)改造項(xiàng)目。

　　這一舉動(dòng)也顯示了埃克森－美孚遵從了查維斯的法令，放棄對(duì)Cerro Negro項(xiàng)目的控制。