July 15 (Reuters) -

• JAPAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT: WE WILL CONSIDER HOW JAPAN CAN BE INVOLVED IN PLANS BY MIDDLE EASTERN OIL-PRODUCING COUNTRIES TO BOOST EXPORTS VIA ROUTES THAT BYPASS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ, SUCH AS EXPANDING PIPELINE CAPACITY

• PAJ PRESIDENT: JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS RECEIVED PROPOSALS FROM MIDDLE EASTERN OIL PRODUCERS, SUCH AS SAUDI ARABIA AND UAE, TO PARTICIPATE IN PLANS TO EXPAND OIL TRANSPORT PIPELINES THAT BYPASS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

• PAJ PRESIDENT: U.S. CRUDE IS ONE OPTION TO DIVERSIFY JAPAN'S FUTURE OIL SUPPLIES

• PAJ PRESIDENT: GIVEN CURRENT CONFIGURATION OF JAPAN'S REFINERIES, WHICH ARE BETTER SUITED TO PROCESSING MIDDLE EASTERN GRADES, IT IS DIFFICULT TO HANDLE LARGE VOLUMES OF U.S. CRUDE NOW