BP Selects ClearCross as Global Product Stewardship & Materials Compliance Standard; Investment Underscores Commitment to Health, Safety & Environmental Performance.

Business/Technology Editors

RESTON, Va. and LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 2001

BP announced today an important advance in its commitment to environment, health and safety with a deal that will also bring bottom line benefits - demonstrating clearly that the two considerations are not mutually exclusive. BP has signed a contract with ClearCross representing a further US$9 million investment in technology and information systems that will manage the complex regulatory processes associated with the development, sale and distribution of oil & chemical products in the 150+ countries where it operates. The solution will promote the safe shipment and handling of BP products worldwide, while substantially enhancing supply chain efficiency and profitability, from product design through final delivery and ongoing customer support. The software improves access to new markets while supporting BP's strong policy goals of no accidents, no harm to people, and no damage to the environment.

Commented John Mogford, BP's Group Vice President Health, Safety and Environment, "BP takes its environmental responsibility very seriously and the management and transparency of materials handling provided by ClearCross solutions will be a key part of this. In addition to providing the critical documentation we need to move our products globally, we will now be able to make faster and more informed decisions in the selection of materials for our products. It's all about enabling strong assurance processes for BP and our customers. This will clearly help our ability to quickly gain competitive advantage in new growth markets."

BP chose ClearCross following proven results at Castrol, part of the BP Group since February 2000, and more recently for BP Chemicals. For BP Chemicals, the new ClearCross systems enhance its ability to provide the highest levels of health and safety stewardship for the many diverse products manufactured in its 55 operating facilities across the globe. At Castrol, the solution offered rapid Return on Investment and payback in an estimated four months by delivering benefits throughout Castrol's value chain. In addition to producing the required documentation to support Castrol's environmentally responsible leadership position across the globe, the content databases are used extensively in the product design phase. By running a series of "what if" scenarios the organisation can assess formulations - prior to actual physical creation - in order to avoid restricted materials and problematic compliance issues.

Cliff Betton, Environmental Health and Safety Manager for Castrol added: "We saw immediately that the product suite mapped to the requirements of a global company. With ClearCross, we have been able to consolidate and integrate systems leveraging new corporate wide synergies without sacrificing regional flexibility - results that significantly reduce costs. At the same time, revenues have been accelerated by our ability to access global markets more quickly than ever before. Use in the product development phase reduces time to market, while enhanced customer service increases product sales and market share."

Under the terms of the deal, BP has purchased a suite of ClearCross application tools and global regulatory content to support the cross-border movement of BP products by creating and distributing the required documentation, such as Material Safety Data Sheets (M)SDS, transport emergency (Trem) cards and labels. These legal documents are planned to be in 37 languages and cover the correct usage, handling and transportation requirements for all products, in all quantities and variations, throughout BP markets worldwide. A key component to the relationship includes access to extensive content databases that help BP's assessment of government regulations.

Bruce Johnson, CEO of ClearCross Inc., explains the importance of the ClearCross relationship, "We believe that ClearCross solutions strongly support the BP vision--providing both the necessary regulatory information that enables compliance as well as the technology that streamlines processes. We expect that results will be consistent and proportionate with the successes at Castrol and BP Chemicals. ClearCross has demonstrated the ability to help companies accelerate sales and open new markets through the use of our regulatory content and technology. We are pleased to provide this value to BP and look forward to this strategic global partnership. By using ClearCross' solutions BP is capable of promoting even more the fact that they take their health, safety and environmental responsibility seriously."

About ClearCross

ClearCross Inc. (www.clearcross.com) is the only global technology company that provides a single knowledgebase for planning, compliance, and documentation content needed to effectively execute - and accelerate - international trade. Solutions are managed to meet the specific requirements of companies competing in the chemical, energy, high-tech, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods arenas. ClearCross is also the first provider to include (M)SDS and hazMAT phrases to its solution suite that features worldwide visibility from origination to destination.

As the only global supply chain provider, ClearCross is uniquely positioned to support international trade requirements -with over half of its revenues from outside of the United States- and services more than 1,000 customers in 22 countries. ClearCross' comprehensive portfolio enables businesses to expand worldwide sales and dramatically streamline product development, fulfillment and procurement processes. ClearCross is privately held and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, USA.

About BP

BP plc is one of the three largest integrated oil and gas companies in the world with a market capitalisation of around $200 billion. It has extensive exploration and production, refining and marketing, gas and power, chemicals manufacturing and solar energy activities globally. The company has over 100,000 employees and operates in over 100 countries.

Trademarks: ClearCross is a trademark of ClearCross Inc. All other company and product names referenced herein are trademarks of their respective holders.