A bond debut from CNOOC

Roadshows began in Hong Kong on Friday for one of the most exciting new Asian credits to tap the international bond markets. With Credit Suisse First Boston and Merrill Lynch as lead managers, China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) has set out to raise $500 million from a 10-year 144a bond offering that will price between Thursday this week and Monday next week, subject to how quickly demand gets out of hand.