ConocoPhillips to depose Citgo Petroleum in hunt for PDVSA's Caribbean assets

HOUSTON (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips is moving to bring Venezuelan PDVSA's U.S. refining unit Citgo Petroleum [PDVSAC.UL] into its legal battles to enforce a $2 billion arbitration award over the South American country's nationalization of its Venezuelan assets.

A federal judge in Houston on Thursday ruled the U.S. oil producer can depose Citgo as preparation for a court case against PDVSA over asset transfers in the Caribbean that Conoco claims were designed to frustrate its efforts to seize PDVSA assets in Curacao.

(Reporting by Gary McWilliams; Editing by James Dalgleish)