China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, an energy and chemical company, engages in oil and gas, and chemical operations in the People's Republic of China. It operates through five segments: Exploration and Production, Refining, Marketing and Distribution, Chemicals, and Corporate and Others. The company explores for and develops oil fields; produces crude oil and natural gas; processes and purifies crude oil; and manufactures and sells petroleum products. It also owns and operates oil depots and service stations; and distributes and sells refined petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel through wholesale and retail sales networks. In addition, the company manufactures and sells petrochemical and derivative petrochemical products; and other chemical products, such as basic organic chemicals, synthetic resins, synthetic fiber monomers and polymers, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, and chemical fertilizers. Further, it is involved in the pipeline transportation and sale of petroleum and natural gas; production, sale, storage, and transportation of refinery, petrochemical, and coal chemical products; import and export of petroleum products, natural gas, petrochemical and chemical products, and other commodities and technologies; research, development, and application of technologies and information; production and sale of catalyst products, lubricant base oil, polyester chips and fibers, plastics, and intermediate petrochemical products; research, development, production, and sale of ethylene and downstream byproducts; provision of geophysical and drilling services, as well as well testing and measurement services; manufacturing production equipment; and coal chemical industry investment management activities. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation is a subsidiary of China Petrochemical Corporation.