On October 30, Mr. Ma Fucai, Chairman of PetroChina Company Ltd. (PetroChina), and Vice President Wang Fucheng, paid an inspection visit to the company's website  branch, energyahead.com, and expected to build it into a first-class e-commerce website in China.

After many efforts for more than a year, PetroChina's website energyahead almost completed its construction of e-purchase platform and e-sales/marketing platform. The three functions it has in e-purchase, sales, and marketing are combined with high safety, reliability and expandability. Upon its completion of construction by the end of the year, its technology will be up to the international advanced level. PetroChina has decided to start from the online purchase, gradually expand its service to sales of products and technical services, ultimately making the website a first class oil and gas e-commerce transaction platform.

PetroChina actively organizes its suppliers to join the website. So far computer products have been put on the web. Three liaison meetings have been held with vendors involving steel and pipes, oil drawing machines, poles and pumps, catalysts, power materials and equipment and other products. Four trainings for customers and five trainings for suppliers has been organized with 580 participants. On the basis of the work, PetroChina also undertook internal integration by establishing e-commerce departments at its local subsidiaries to facilitate a vertical working relationship. Specialized companies under PetroChina also defined their managing role to promote e-commerce and materials management. These efforts have proven to be successful. Currently, the company is formatting its e-business development plan and managing procedure for regulated operation.

Mr. Ma said, "We are going to fully explore the active effect e-commerce can work in cost-cutting and profit growth and build energyahead into the first class e-commerce website in China."