To fulfill China's WTO commitments, the Ministry of Commerce has recently released Management of Refined Oil Product Market and the Management of Crude Oil Market, which will take effect on and after January 1st 2007. The wholesale operation rights of crude oil and refined oil products have been opened up to the outside. The private-owned enterprises have also marched into the distribution markets of refined oil products in China. By the end of November 2006, social wholesale enterprises enjoy a proportion of 33.4% in the number of refined oil wholesale enterprises. Meanwhile, social gas stations take 56.3% of the total number of gas stations in China.

Output of Refined oil products in China, Jan-Sep 2006

The Production of Gasoline, Kerosene, Diesel Oil and Fuel Oil, Q1-Q3 2006

The total number of gas stations in China has now been overflow, so gas station industry stands in the intersection as domestic refined oil resources get gradually diversified due to the opening-up market.

Impacted by market competition and the limited profits in the industry, the number of gas stations in China will decline steadily, which is attributable to the following three reasons. Firstly, the domestic pricing mechanism for refined oil products has been gradually consummated, and the profit margin of gas station industry keeps decreasing year by year. Compared with the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, the retail gross profit margin of gas stations decreased approximately by 45%-60%during the Tenth Five-Year Plan period. Secondly, there will be an increasing number of competition entities. For instance, Sinopec, China National Offshore Oil Corp., private-owned enterprises as well as overseas companies like Shell and BP are all sparing no efforts to access into Chinese gas station industry. Lastly, the cost of gas station construction goes up significantly due to the rising land price.

To be competitive in the market of refined oil products, many domestic enterprises actively explore the resources related to oil products, like commodities, clients and profitable business. Nowadays, the profits of convenience stores attached to gas stations in developed countries take 45%-55% of total profits. However, the non-oil product business in China fails to bring considerable returns due to the poor management and lack of reasonable plan. Whereas, the huge potentials of non-oil product market in China will be brought into full play with the fast growth of automobile ownership, the changes of people's consumption ideas as well as the efforts from industry giants both at home and abroad.

The National Phase¢ó and Phase¢ô Emission Standard will be carried out respectively in 2007 and 2010. Chinese Phase¢ó Emission Standard will take effect across China since July 1 2007. In fact, Chinese Phase¢ó Emission Standard has been first put into practice in Beijing since January 1 2006, where only decades of gas stations can meet this standard.

In a word, China's gas station industry will develop towards quality-oriented instead of quantity-oriented during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2006-2010).

2. Development Environments for Gas Station Industry, 2006
2.1 Macro-economic Environment
2.2 Political Environment
2.3 The Development of Automobile Industry, 2005-2006

3. The Operation of Gas Stations and the Market of Refined oil products in China, 2006
3.1 General Operation of Domestic Gas Stations in 2006
3.2 Non-oil Product Business Development of Gas Stations in 2006
3.3 Chinese Market of Refined oil products in 2005
3.4 Chinese Market of Refined oil products in 2006
3.5 Analysis & Forecast of the Operation of Domestic Gasoline Market, 2005-2006
3.6 Analysis & Forecast of the Operation of Domestic Diesel Oil Market, 2005-2006

4. Growth for the Number of Gas Stations in 2006
4.1 The Number of Gas Stations
4.2 Analysis of Related Factors
4.3 The Number of Gas Stations Owned by Sinopec and Future Construction Projects
4.4 The Number of Gas Stations Owned by China National Petroleum Corporation and Future Construction Projects
4.5 The Construction of Gas Stations in Different Regions in Next Few Years

5. The Development of Gas Stations in Different Regions, 2006
5.1 Guangdong
5.2 Beijing
5.3 Shanghai
5.4 The Development of Gas Stations in other Provinces and Cities, 2006
5.5 Development Planning of Gas Stations in other Provinces and Cities

6. Operation of Gas Station Enterprises at Home
6.1 The Operation of Gas Station Enterprises
6.2 Reflections on Licensed Operation Development of Chinese Gas Stations
6.3 The Operation of Gas Stations of China National Petroleum Corporation, 2006
6.4 The Operation of Sinopec Gas Stations in 2006
6.5 The Operation of Gas Stations of China National Offshore Oil Corp. in 2006
6.6 The Operation of Private-owned Gas Stations in 2006

7. Developments of Foreign-funded Gas Stations in China
7.1 Developments of Foreign-funded Gas Stations in China, 2005-2006
7.2 The Entrance of Royal Dutch Shell in 2006
7.3 The Entrance of British Petroleum in 2006

8. Marketing Strategies of Gas Stations
8.1 Marketing Patterns 
8.2 The Framing of Marketing Strategies 
8.3 Marketing Strategy Prospect 

9. Strategies for Sales Network Construction of Gas Stations
9.1 Development Strategies 
9.2 Implementing Strategy 
9.3 Construction and Innovation 

10. Operation Strategies of Gas Stations
10.1 Strategies for Enhancing Competitiveness 
10.2 Segmented Clients
10.3 The Expansion of Diversified Services
10.4 Unique Promotion
10.5 Chain-store Operation Modes and Strategies 
10.6 Consumptive Demand of China National Highway Gas Stations and the Countermeasures

11. Countermeasures against Capital Risks of Gas Stations
11.1 Capital Risk Categories 
11.2 Countermeasures against Capital Risk 
11.3 The Investment of Social Capital 
11.4 Lowest Sales Volume Standard for Operating a Gas Station