Kunlun Lubricants Expands Its International Footprint

Our reporter learned from CNPC that Kunlun Lubricants has accelerated its internationalization in recent years, with especially strong sales growth in Central Asia, including a 347% increase in Almaty, Astana, Aktobe and Shimkent in Kazakhstan.
In the early stage of developing the Central Asian market, China National Petroleum Corporation (Kunlun) Lubricant Company went global mainly by bundling exports of trucks and construction machinery and through overseas oilfield drilling projects. This year, leveraging the theme of "CNPC as a main sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games," the company carried out a series of brand promotion activities that generated a huge response locally, significantly raised product awareness and greatly boosted sales.
The development of the Central Asian market is but a snapshot of Kunlun Lubricants' path to brand internationalization. On October 18, 2007, the lubricant company signed an oil supply contract with Maersk Line, the world's largest shipping company; on November 12, 2007, Kunlun Lubricant Company made its debut at the Toyota Center of the NBA's Houston Rockets, becoming an official partner of the team of Chinese player Yao Ming.