In one example, the Finance Ministry and Chinese refiners are deadlocked in negotiations over subsidies to help offset the higher costs of upgrading and operating refineries that produce cleaner diesel fuel, according to Gong Huiming, transportation director at the Energy Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on U.S.-China energy issues.

WSJ: China's Pollution Fight Faces Resistance

Operating largely without oversight, Mattei built refineries and chemical plants, and pipelines reaching as far as Bavaria.

FORBES: Companies, People, Ideas

The remaining refineries geared toward heavier sour crudes are already operating near capacity.

FORBES: Obama Released the SPR, and All He Got Was...Nothing

We're now on track to go from zero -- zero commercial-scale biofuel refineries to 19 by the year 2012, and from no commercial-scale power plants operating carbon capture to five by the year 2015.

WHITEHOUSE: Meeting with Governors on Energy Policy