Marketing and Sales
CNPC's marketing activities are mainly focused on crude oil and petroleum products, basic petrochemicals, derivative chemicals and other chemicals.
Taking advantage of a well-organized marketing network for refined products and a centralized marketing system for chemicals, CNPC has established an enhanced and efficiently operated marketing network nationwide with retail outlets and service stations set up across the country to provide services to more than 11 million customers on a daily basis.
Given the diversity of competitors and supply channels and inspired by the business philosophy of "Premium Service for Customers", we are committed to providing quality products and premium services to our customers through a conversion of growth model for CNPC's marketing subsidiaries.
Refined Products
CNPC's refined products sales volume and market share have been increasing steadily in recent years. By strengthening technological innovation and optimizing the product mix, we provide safe, reliable, high-quality and environmentally friendly products for our customers.
In 2024, the Company adopted a holistic approach to bolstering retail and wholesale operations, tie-in marketing for fuel & non-fuel products, oil-gas integration, and online + offline campaigns. The full-year domestic sales of refined products reached 119.22 million tons.
Marketing Network
With an aim to become a top service provider of oil, gas, hydrogen, electricity and non-fuel products at home and abroad, the Company continues to optimize its investment portfolio and business priorities in line with demand changes of vehicle fuel. The marketing operations saw transformation and upgrading by providing new services of hydrogen fueling, photovoltaics and charging.
By the end of 2024, the 3.0 version of the CNPC gas station management system has been fully launched, enabling pure online operation of business scenarios such as outlets, payment, and membership. The Company built 2,880 charging (swapping) stations, 5 hydrogen refueling stations and 1,386 photovoltaic stations throughout the year. There are 22,441 gas station service outlets across the country, covering 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
As the marketing structure has continuously improved, our brand value and market recognition have also grown. According to the report of the 2021 China Brand Power IndexSM (C-BPI) released by the renowned brand rating and consulting company Chnbrand, CNPC ranked first among China's fuel retailers for the fifth consecutive year. The customer satisfaction rate has reached 99.5%.
Non-fuel Service
In CNPC, the synergy of the integrated marketing model comprising retail, fuel cards and non-fuel business has emerged. In 2008, we launched the uSmile brand for the integrated operation and management of our convenience shops. Using the smile design shows our service philosophy and quality in the sales business.
Non-fuel products are an important profit growth point in our marketing business. Taking advantage of the retail network, we realize integrated marketing at service stations by upgrading our convenience stores and the careful selection of commodities. We push forward the development of our self-produced commodities and, in particular, strengthen the promotion of the Kunlun Star commodity family. Vehicle services are offered at service stations, either by ourselves or our JVs, or by renters. Overall profitability has been improved by utilizing the resources of non-fuel suppliers through joint marketing and brand integration.
The brand value of our non-fuel brand uSmile reached RMB 12.632 billion, ranking second on the list of China's retail brands, according to the 2020 China Brand Evaluation Press Conference co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Brand Building Promotion Association, and China Appraisal Association.CNPC’s brand uSmile was valued at RMB 13.4 billion, ranking among the top of the Chinese retail brands list, according to the China Brand Evaluation Press Conference 2021. In 2023, Xinhuanet and the China Council for Brand Development, among other organizations, co-released the “2023 China Brand Evaluation”. The brand value of CNPC’s uSmile has reached a new high of RMB 17.022 billion, ranking high on the Retail Brand Value List, and it has been selected as “My Favorite Chinese Brand” for three consecutive years. CNPC received wide recognition from the market, and topped the domestic oil and gas industry in the world’s Top 500 Most Valuable Brands (Brand Finance 2025 Global 500). In 2025，PetroChina ranked No. 2 on the list of China's 500 Most Valuable Brands 2025.
International Trade
Supported by our three overseas operation hubs in Singapore, London and New York and distribution networks, we conduct trading in crude oil, refined products, natural gas, and petrochemicals, as well as international carbon trading, sales of our overseas equity oil, and transactions in oil and refined products futures in over 120 countries around the world. PetroChina International Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CNPC, is responsible for CNPC's international trading activities.
During its operations, PetroChina International has successfully carried out international transit business in crude, gasoline and fuel oil, as well as other businesses such as imported materials processing, oil products exchange, insurance agency and hedging services. Overseas wholesale of refined oil is carried out by means of tank rental and blending. PetroChina International also trades gasoline in Platts Assessment Window and actively makes overseas investments by acquiring and merging oil depots and filling stations. In 2024, we traded 530 million tons with sales revenue of USD 283.72 billion.
Development and Application of New Materials
In 2021, the Company boosted its new materials business based on its 14th Five-Year Plan for New Materials Business Development, focusing on 26 new materials in seven categories, in order to form signature products with a competitive edge. In December, PetroChina Shanghai New Materials Research Institute was established to provide strong support for the development of new materials business.
In 2022, the Company continued to increase its efforts in the planning, R&D and capacity ramp-up for new materials. The full-year production of new materials was 855,000 tons, with a year-on-year increase of 56.3%. Medical-grade polyolefin, solution styrene-butadiene rubber (SSBR) and cathode coke, etc. were ready for commercial production, marking significant progress in the new materials business. Fast-paced construction of new materials bases: A 1.2 Mt/a ethylene plant and its supporting works started construction at Jilin Petrochemical as part of the transformation and upgrading process to increase the production of high-value chemical products and new materials such as ABS and ethylene-propylene rubber. The construction of an integrated refining-petrochemical complex kicked off at Guangxi Petrochemical to facilitate the upgrading of the Company's SSBR products.
In 2023, the full-year production of new materials was 1.37 million tons, covering a number of flagship products such as α-olefin, ABS, nitrile butadiene rubber, SSBR, etc. The Company's metallocene-based polyolefins, medical-grade polyolefin, PETG copolyester and petroleum needle coke enjoyed a leading position in China. The new materials acceleration program delivered remarkable results.
In 2024, the Company strengthened planning, R&D and capacity building for new materials. The full-year production of new materials exceeded two million tons, a surge for three consecutive years, covering a number of flagship products such as ABS, nitrile butadiene rubber, SSBR, EPR, α-olefin, PETG, paraffin, lubricant and additives, etc. The Company enjoyed a leading position in the domestic output and varieties of metallocene-based polyolefin, and a breakthrough was achieved in the gas-phase polyethylene process for polyolefin elastomer (POE) production.