In Sapa, the sky and the earth seem to merge . On this background, the P brand lamp post illuminates as a blooming peach blossom signifying the coming of Spring.

Sapa retail service station (RSS)

I was on a working visit to Sapa at the threshold of the new year, to check the preparation of goods for the new year and to see how brothers and sisters here prepare to welcome the new year.

I’ve been to Sapa many times. Each time I arrived I wondered what would happen to this well-known small and adorable town of Sapa if there was no Petrolimex RSS. who would care for the people here with regards to oils? What would happen to visitors running out of gasoline? I asked myself and I was proud.

Petrolimex RSS in Sapa becomes a cluster of installations indispensable of Sapa. I sometimes think the letter P is like an early blooming peach flower welcoming Spring. And it is true that when this town is wrapped in fog in the 5- centimeter high snow, Sapa RSS with new Petrolimex identification is always gorgeous.

For tourists, Sapa RSS is always a focal point of the town and a hospitable and welcoming host for any visitor to Sapa.

Sapa RSS

Just after shaking hands, Mr. Nguyen Duc San happily smiled and told me:” Sister, I just delivered more than one thousand cans of Petrolimex lubricants. This is a good omen for a lucky year.” I congratulated San and was filled with joy.

Petrolimex lubricants are on hot sale here. People here have good trust. I myself use Petrolimex lub. To speak fairly, any vehicle using Petrolimex lub would start at once even in cold temperature. Engines run quietly and the vehicles would be very strong when being accelerated. People of ethnic minorities here only believe in the real and tested goods.

Not only in Petrolimex lubricants, Sapa RSS also deals in other goods and services of Petrolimex: Gas of Petrolimex helps the people to abstain from coming to the forests to get fire woods which was laborious, dangerous and destructive for the living environment and tourist sceneries. Petrolimex Insurance (PJICO) is by law and at same time to share the risks and support for the ones in distress. The roads twist and turn, the weather is sunny and rainy unexpectedly, the water is snow cold and even icy. Walkers might at times “catch frogs” let alone cars and motorbikes.

Hardest hit are drivers of tank lorries to Sapa. Any safe trip up mountains and down hills to here would fill them with happiness. This simple and modest wish is quite true to them.

People of Sapa are extremely truthful. Our blue collar workers in the RSS are the same. There has never been any complaint about the quality and quantity of Petrolimex oils.

Petrolimex Lao Cai

Stationed in the two border provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau, Lao Cai Petroleum Company (Petrolimex Lao Cai/the Company) established RSS in all district towns, including distant, remote and even specially difficult areas.

Knowing thattransportation cost would bring no profit and even loss, the Company is determined to build. Each RSS coming into operation here is welcomed by the people as an important event. Life at the present time is better, many families are now riding motorbikes instead of horses. Riding motorbikes entails the use of gasoline, lubricants and insurance. If there is no Petrolimex RSS, they would certainly have to buy gasoline at high price without knowing whether the gasoline is of good quality or not, whether it would explode in flames. To store gasoline at home is very dangerous. Many houses have at lot of fire inflammable woods and children are by nature curious and playing wild. .

Sapa RSS sells out more than 10,000 liters of oils, in which more than two third (2/3) is gasoline. People refueling each time is about 20-50 thousand dongs.That is suitable to the pocket; when oil is up, they would buy again. That is the reason why the RSS is always crowded, sometimes people have to wait. Mr. Lo A Chu in Lao Cai village said:” Petrolimex RSS here is very convenient for the people, the only thing is that sometimes it is too crowded.”. Crowd would generate merriment. There is no queue breaking nor quarrelling. In this upland, people meet and talk as if to disperse the cloud. Therefore,the song about Sapa says:” I could only hear your singing resounding in the cloud; I could only hear your laughing out from the trees, where are you? where are your face? Oh foggy Sapa”.

Lao Cai province has some other localities with similar weather as Sapa. They are Bac Ha, Muong Khuong, Si Ma Cai (Lao Cai), Sin Ho (Lai Chau).visited frequently by tourists. Summer and Winter draw more visitors, especially from Europe who took interest in the natural surroundings here. In those places there are Petrolimex RSS.

Mr. Nguyen Duc San of Petrolimex Sapa

Tet is coming, Spring is returning

In Sapa, it is safe to say that every day is a spring day because there are four seasons in a day. But the spring that is linked with Tet is now coming on the blooming peach pink flowers

Every shift of Sapa RSS has three persons. They are always busy with work. One is pumping, the other is selling lubricant, the other one is selling insurance. This season is busier because Tet is coming, every one is going shopping for a decent Tet festival.

Theblue shirt workers in the gas shop spend their whole days on the road to sell in villages and hamlets. Dry at the start, completely soaked when they return.

I think the Company was far sighted to supply them with clothes enough four 4 consecutive years. In cold weather it is certain to get sick if the workers are wet for a whole day. The care for workers must be suitable to actuality, dismissing the rigid regime . Besides, the Company also provides them with floating jackets to combat the cold.

Mr. Nguyen Duc San in a talk indicative of a suggestion says: It is very cold here. If we up here are equipped with winter work clothes and another floating jacket is very good.”

It is so hard and so difficult work. However, Petrolimex brothers are always united and supportive, enthusiastic in their work.

As far as the organizational issue, the Company try to arrange for them to live or to have their home near the RSS . The general and the particular are achieved.

Although it is Tet Festival, the brothers here must work harder than usually. If necessary they would change their shift for the other to go home and shopping or paying necessary visit to elders. Tet commodities in Sapa are ample in kinds and quantity but many of them are brought from lowland to this tourist site therefore rather expensive which make the buyers “reluctant” before making decision. Fortunately families and kith and kins do not complain much because they understand the “work of the state”

An interesting thing in this upland is that almost all houses have flower gardens. At Sapa RSS, some French peach trees and many other flowers are planted and beautifully blooming at right time. .

To encourage the bothers to be on duty in Tet Festival, the Company and the Trade Union prepare for them Trung Cake, candies and even a bottle of wine.

That is Spring, the spring of the blue workers of Petrolimex Lao Cai.

I feel gratitude for them. Leaders and political organizations of Petrolimex Lao Cai always note their merit.

They are in far distant place, however in recent years they are closer the Company has the webwww.laocai.petrolimex.com.vn posting a lot of news and events of the Company and the Group. Besides the updating of information for situation, knowledge and experiences for better business, no one would say a word but everyone is looking for The New Year 2014 Congratulation Letter for “ The Horse Comes With Success”