About Us

December 1947

Theodor Weisser Founds Marquard & Bahls

Marquard & Bahls is founded in 1913 by Franz von Marquard (commercial registration on May 06, 1914). On October 19, 1919 the business becomes a partnership when Otto Rudolf Julius Bahls joins the ranks. The partnership processes and sells lubricating oil. However, by the end of the war – Messrs Marquard & Bahls have both passed away at this point – Mr. Isenbart buys the abandoned company from their heirs.

In 1945 Theodor Weisser returns from the war and, like many others, faces a new beginning. He had a position with Shell before the war, but when he returns to Hamburg the position is occupied. This situation eventually leads to him becoming self-employed. The company that he buys, Marquard & Bahls, is merely a shell at this point. The most important thing is that Marquard & Bahls still has a production licence, an export licence and a trading permit. This enables Theodor Weisser to set up new companies both at home and abroad.

An office is available on Kattrepelsbrücke. The shell company costs 70,000 Reichsmark (RM). Theodor Weisser himself contributes 8,000 RM, and after lengthy negotiations with Mr. Isenbart and Mr. Recht, an agreement is reached whereby the sale price is 20,000 RM, and the profit is to be paid out to Messrs Isenbart and Recht until the sum of 70,000 RM is reached. The remaining 12,000 RM are borrowed.

December 1947

First Day of Business: Sensational Profit

Marquard & Bahls' first day of business, December 31, 1947, closes with a balance of 480,244 RM. On this first day a sensational profit of 21,821 RM is made.

December 1949

Marquard & Bahls Ends its First DM-Year with Excellent Results

The young limited company not only maintains its position, it even expands so that by the end of 1949, the DM balance sheet shows a six-fold equity increase when compared to the start-up capital. These funds are crucial to the further expansion of the company.

And this even though the repercussions of the currency reform are a bit of a blessing in disguise. The exchange rate of 1:10 creates winners and losers. Only one day has passed and the currency reform has already changed many lives. Marquard & Bahls is affected in quite a curious manner. During Managing Director Mr. Weisser's absence, six tank trucks of lubricating oil are sold at Reichsmark prices by his deputy. If the sale had been but one day later, they would have made ten times the profit. But as luck would have it, one of the tank trucks doesn’t find its way to the client and is returned to Marquard & Bahls. The earnings from the sale of this one truck-load are enough to set the young company up in DM capital.

June 1950

Marquard & Bahls Acquires the Company Wilhelm Schliemann

Since June 6, 1950, the company Wilhelm Schliemann, founded in 1888, belongs to Marquard & Bahls GmbH. According to management, the primary motivation behind the acquisition is to incorporate Wilhelm Schliemann's lubrication oil business into that of Marquard & Bahls. Another reason is that the newly purchased company can be a further instrument for use in export business.

June 1950

First Subsidiary Founded in Karlsruhe: MABAG

Only one week has passed and yet another new subsidiary, MABAG, joins Marquard & Bahls. The barrel warehouse in Karlsruhe is supplied by railroad tank cars from the Soviet-occupied zone and barges from Belgium.

October 1950

The First Seagoing Vessel

October 23, 1950 is a red-letter day in the history of Marquard & Bahls. Its first seagoing vessel, the Atonality, has just arrived with the incredible import load of 200 tons. Two years earlier, lubrication oil was still sold in 20-kg canisters. Shortly afterwards, in June 1948, came the first deals involving barrels, followed closely by tank trucking businesses. That day, the first seagoing vessel with oil from Manchester arrives, creating a milestone in the fledgling company's history.

August 1951

Marquard & Bahls Goes Abroad

A New Start-Up of BBH Abroad

To date, the petroleum products traded by Marquard & Bahls have mostly come from refineries in Germany. Since 1950, however, Marquard & Bahls has increasingly been buying oil from abroad, mainly from Belgium. The growing volume of business conducted with Brussels and Antwerp leads to the decision to set up a company there in 1951. It bears the name BBH (Benzol, Benzin, Huil).

Marquard & Bahls Goes to Africa

On August 8, 1951, Südatlantik Handelsgesellschaft mbH is entered in the Commercial Trade Register. The company exports industrial products to Tangier, Casablanca, Dakar, Elizabethville and Léopoldville. There are no export restrictions. The business contacts to companies in the above-mentioned cities came about during Mr. Weisser's three-month trip, concentrating particularly on Congo. Marquard & Bahls founds SAH because a company that generates foreign currency is needed. At the time, a special import licence is required for each import of petroleum products, and only those who trade and possess foreign currency are issued such a licence. The new company is hoped to help improve the foreign currency situation and expand the actual business of oil trading.

July 1952

The First Merchant Trading Deal: ‘MS Kleopatra’

As the occupying powers refuse to grant Marquard & Bahls a licence to transport heavy heating oil from France to Finland, it looks like the company would miss out on a great opportunity. But then came a stroke of brilliance: import the consignment at Brunsbüttel, transport it via the Kiel Canal to Kiel-Holtenau, export it to Finland from there – and a transit permit would not be necessary. Import/export licences are readily available from the occupying powers. It isn't even necessary to unload and reload the MS Kleopatra.

December 1953

For the First Time in its History, Marquard & Bahls is in the Red

Mr. Weisser is unable to run the company for some time due to a car accident. Meanwhile, conditions in the oil market are deteriorating. This has consequences for Marquard & Bahls, impacting this year's balance sheet: for the first time in the company’s history, Marquard & Bahls is in the red.

June 1954

The Heating Oil Amendment: Marquard & Bahls Buys the Tank Terminal on Veringkanal in the Port of Hamburg

The reason behind the expansion of storage capacity is the Federal Government's decision to subsidise heating oil exports. The “Heating Oil Amendment” guarantees each German oil exporter – regardless whether dealing in imports or German products – a customs refund from the government of DM 129 per ton. As a result, Marquard & Bahls could still make a profit even if the heating oil had to be sold below cost.

December 1955

Founding of the GEFO, Society for Oil Shipments

Theodor Weisser on the founding of GEFO:

“GEFO is the solution to our transport problems on the Rhine. It has become more and more difficult lately for Marquard & Bahls to charter shipping space to transport our products. I attribute this change to our having bought oil from the Eastern Bloc for the past year. We've had many shipping companies cancel their contracts, often on the grounds that their customers do not wish to charter ships in which Eastern Bloc goods are transported. We therefore had to transport much of the oil by tank truck. This was expensive and inconvenient. Profits could barely be made doing such business so an alternative had to be found fast. This led to the idea of setting up our own transport company. In future it will guarantee us shipping space and thus secure our transport on the Rhine.” 

September 1956

Construction of the Danube Tank Terminal in Deggendorf

Mr. Wolz reporting on the construction:

“The company's growing revenue has, in my opinion, led to the big oil trading companies constraining us wherever they can. Up to now we’ve been particularly sensitive in the areas of transport and storage. As you know, the transport problem was resolved by setting up GEFO and now, by building our own tank terminals we will eliminate the storage problem. Mr. Weisser has hired me for the task. On behalf of the company, I will look for suitable land, have ground tests conducted and get quotes from construction companies. As General Manager I'm the one people will contact should any difficulties arise in relation to this task. We're currently building a complete tank terminal on the land bought by Mr. Weisser. We hope to have the new tanks working in a week's time.”

December 1956

Founding of Mabanaft Inc., New York

Mabanaft Inc. is the first Marquard & Bahls subsidiary overseas. Mr. Weisser justifies the development as follows:

“We mean to intensify our contacts to our suppliers in the USA. This is not possible from Hamburg. Unfortunately, our contacts with the Eastern Bloc often give rise to problems with our suppliers here in the USA. We will try to explain to our American business associates why these agreements are important to our supply chain. We are hoping for more empathy and tolerance.

Most certainly, setting up the subsidiary is a further means of expanding the company. Our company has grown markedly over the last couple of years, with our sales volume climbing from 100,000 to 250,000 tons between 1954 and 1955: a jump of 150%. A further leap of at least 100,000 tons looks set for 1955. We therefore feel it is high time we secured a larger stake in the international trading business. Setting up Mabanaft Inc., N.Y. is the first step in this direction.

The subsidiary in the USA will trade under the name of Mabanaft. In 1950 our tank terminal in Karlsruhe was dubbed MABAG, this being short for Marquard & Bahls GmbH. But as the name MABAG often led to confusion, the contraction "Mabanaft" for Marquard & Bahls Naftaproducts was created. We've been using this short form as our telegram address for quite some time. We think that the name is catchy and therefore ideal for our overseas activities."

January 1958

Marquard & Bahls Getting into the Business with Crude Oil

Demand for light petrolium products has risen considerably over the last few years due to growing motorization and new heating methods. Mr. Weisser already signed crude oil delivery agreements with Sojuznefteexport in Moscow, with Gulf Oil in Pittsburg and with Hunt International in Dallas. In future this crude oil is to be processed at two refineries, one in Kalundborg, Denmark and the other in Duisburg. Processing crude oil, however, presents the company with a completely new set of problems. Besides gasoline and gas oil, by-products such as heavy heating oil are created during production. Markets need to be found for these other products.

At the end of 1959, heavy heating oil is still available in the petroleum market in large quantities and at very reasonable prices. At that time, the market is limited to large-scale industry. Since Marquard & Bahls has had difficulties finding customers for heavy heating oil up to that point, the decision is made to set up a heavy heating oil department for the company.

March 1959

Mabanaft NV Founded near Rotterdam

Marquard & Bahls founds a foreign office near Rotterdam. The subsidiary is set up so as to be right there where the market is. With the founding of Mabanaft NV, business is expected to increase, primarily in the Benelux countries, but also in merchant trading along the Rhine.

October 1960

Establishment of Gas Station Company, Uno-X Kraftstoffgesellschaft

In connection with crude oil processing it is necessary to secure a market for light petroleum products. Service stations in Germany and abroad are already being supplied. On October 20, 1960 a service station company is set up: Uno-X Kraftstoffgesellschaft mbH. Marquard & Bahls has previously received permission from its customer, Uno-X in Denmark, to use the name in Germany.

Shortly afterwards, Marquard & Bahls acquires the company Framin, which owns its own service stations. The Framin service stations are to be incorporated into the newly founded company Uno-X, as are further, as yet un-built, service stations in Germany, to ensure that the company possesses a secure distribution network in Germany.

February 1961

Hans Weisser Takes on the Leadership at Mabanaft NV

After graduating in business management in the U.S. followed by a short warm-up phase in the merchant trading department and in-depth study of the Dutch market, Hans Weisser, the eldest son of proprietor Theodor Weisser, assumes the leadership of the young Mabanaft NV.

The Benelux region has become increasingly important to the company over the past two years. The profits attained by the subsidiary offset the losses incurred in Germany from gas oil.

May 1961

Formation of AFM, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Freier Mineralöl-Importeure e.V.

Marquard & Bahls and six other independent oil-trading companies join together as AFM, Arbeitsgemeinschaft freier Mineralöl-Importeure e.V. AFM Chairman, Mr. Kurtz about this organization:

“For the future we need a means by which the interests of independent importers of petroleum products may be represented when dealing with legislative ministries and other organizations, particularly the refineries. The individual oil traders are not taken seriously enough by the authorities and are often disadvantaged, when getting import licences, for instance. The refineries, too, make fuel trading difficult for the oil-trading companies. We aim to dismantle the existing restrictions on imports and lower import costs. We have joined together today and signed the register of association in order to better represent our interests in future. Any independent importer of petroleum products may become a member provided he has no business affiliations and may trade freely without third party restrictions. 

The AFM's price-comparison table is designed to keep traders abreast of the actual prices of petroleum products. The published prices previously relied on by oil trading companies were in fact artificially calculated. These prices were usually higher than the new AMF prices, which are produced by taking the trade prices attained in Rotterdam and adjusting them to allow for extreme price swings. These prices are of great help to many traders. Platt's Oilgram has adopted them for this very reason. It is particularly important for Marquard & Bahls that Sojuznefteexport, as one of our main suppliers, accepts the AFM quotations.”

December 1962

Mabanaft AG, Switzerland Gets Active

Mabanaft AG in Switzerland, founded October 28, 1957, has not been particularly active until recently. The office has, however, become more important of late. Switzerland is dependent on petroleum imports, as it has no oil deposits of its own. Such high demand means independent oil trading companies have an excellent opportunity to find gaps in the market. Switzerland also imports heavy heating oil, and seeing as Marquard & Bahls is looking for buyers of this product (produced in great quantities as a by-product of crude oil processing) Mr. Weisser decides to activate Mabanaft AG. And besides, Switzerland also buys Russian oil, which Marquard & Bahls has difficulties finding markets for in other European countries.

Marquard & Bahls buys the bulk of its petroleum products from its sister company in Rotterdam. These products are then imported into Switzerland by ship to be resold.

March 1964

Foundation of Mabanaft Ltd., London

The lubricating-oil business is centrally run from Hamburg. Department 5 of Marquard & Bahls buys semi-finished products from Deurag-Nerag in Russia and Romania and resells them to independent processors or major oil companies. Marquard & Bahls sets up Mabanaft Ltd. in London to extend the lubricating-oil business into Great Britain. Marquard & Bahls delivers the products to England by ship and stores them there; Mabanaft Ltd. sells them.

April 1965

Successful Businesses of Wilhelm Schliemann GmbH in Scandinavia

The lubricating-oil business in the Scandinavian region was started up in 1958, and even before that, Marquard & Bahls had been selling gasoline to Peder Lysgaard. Business started well and this encouraged the company to give it a try in Denmark using contract processing, meaning Marquard & Bahls delivers crude oil to refineries for reprocessing and in exchange for a fee, takes the end product back for resale. This business is conducted through the subsidiary of Marquard & Bahls Wilhelm Schliemann, which has long had good contacts in Scandinavia.

Marquard & Bahls also buys Gulf crude oil through Wilhelm Schliemann and has it processed it at Dansk Veedol. By selling to either major oil companies, or exchanging finished products for oil in premium-price countries, Wilhelm Schliemann GmbH generates excellent profits and closes 1964 with record results.

September 1965

Introduction of Compulsory Stockpiling

Compulsory stockpiling is introduced in Germany on September 14, 1965 to ensure that enough oil will be available for domestic use in times of crisis. Building such stockpiles does not present a problem for the major oil companies, as they have sufficient tank terminals. For the independent oil trading companies, however, this constitutes an unreasonable capital commitment.

In 1967 the company Tampimex (a member of AFM) resolves to challenge this law in court and subsequently takes the matter to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. Because it is clear that the case will extend over several years, Marquard & Bahls (also an AFM member) also sues to bring about a suspension of the compulsory stockpiling for the duration of the trial. Marquard & Bahls wins the case. As a precaution, Marquard & Bahls uses the suspension period to secure adequate tank space to accommodate the compulsory stockpiling in Germany. Extending the tank terminal capacity proves to be the right move.

August 1967

Founding of Mabanaft Nord

Up until 1962 Mabanaft is not represented in the trading region of North Germany. However, as the company is based in Hamburg, it seems only natural to strengthen its position here, too. The trade is handled in its entirety by Mabanaft GmbH. There is the Domestic Department which looks after trade on the Rhine, and the Overseas Department which deals with foreign trade. The international trade department initially takes on the task of building up trade in the North German region. Hamburg and Bremen are therefore looked upon as foreign countries, as it were. Yet with time this area of responsibility becomes so important that it becomes necessary to transfer the task to a separate company. Mabanaft Nord is to provide the suitable framework for such future endeavours. These tank terminals serve as temporary storage for petroleum, between buying and selling.

May 1968

Franchise Agreement in Libya for Crude Oil

Since 1965, Marquard & Bahls has owned a stake in Bosco Middle East Corp., which obtains a franchise agreement in Libya in 1968. The idea behind this is to have own sources of crude oil available for contract processing.

Over the past few months Bosco Middle East Corp., in which Marquard & Bahls holds a stake, has sunk two boreholes in Libya. In the second borehole, just as in the first, traces of oil are found in the wildcat. The initial probes bode well for a speedy find.

Sourcing crude oil from Libya would be beneficial for Marquard & Bahls both in terms of transport, as it would circumvent the need to ship through the crisis-prone Suez Canal, and the fact that Libyan crude oil is of prime quality with a top yield of light products.

June 1968

Marquard & Bahls Gets a New Structure

The existing oil trading business is to come under a new holding company of Marquard & Bahls GmbH & Co., while specialised businesses such as crude oil and processing or non-European businesses are to be managed by the new Th. Weisser KG. Hans Weisser becomes the new Managing Director of Mabanaft GmbH.

June 1968

Christening of the Second of Three Coastal Tankers

The second of three off-shore tankers built for Marquard & Bahls is christened at the Roland Shipworks in Bremen Hemelingen on June 16, 1968.

The ship is named after the Englishman Bill Roberts, an independent oil trader. The first off-shore tanker built for Marquard & Bahls was named after Harry Lewis, an international oil broker from America. The third tanker, already laid down, has received the name "Peder Lysgaard" after the man who founded Uno-X in Denmark. For both free oil trading and Marquard & Bahls, these names represent three important gentlemen to whom the company wishes to extend it thanks and to show respect by naming the ships after them.

The three off-shore tankers each have 499 GRT, are 64.9 m long, 10.5 m wide and have a draught of 3.75 m.

The "Bill Roberts" is intended for use in the North and Baltic Seas as well as in the Mediterranean. This is one step further towards independence and was an investment in the coming years.

July 1969

Inauguration of Mabanaft Tank Terminal at the Teltow Canal, Berlin

Three hundred guests from Germany and abroad come to Berlin on July 26, 1969 to take part in the inauguration of the new tank terminal on the Teltow Canal in Berlin-Lankwitz: representatives from government authorities, the petroleum industry and employees of Marquard & Bahls. The tank terminal, built on an old coal storage site, consists of four tanks each with a 5,000 cbm capacity to store middle distillates for the time being. Three further 5,000 cbm tanks for gasoline storage are planned, as is the construction of railway facilities to process unit trains. Wholesalers in the Berlin area are to be supplied with heating oil from this tank terminal. One part of the new tank terminal is earmarked for Berlin's reserves.

October 1970

Expansion of Business Relations: Trading with Newfoundland

Activities of Marquard & Bahls in the USA and Canada lead to contacts with the Newfoundland government and the company Shaheen Natural Resources Co., New York. Shaheen's endeavours to build a new refinery in Come-by-Chance (name of Newfoundland's south coast) are supported in Canadian government circles. This creates an opportunity for Marquard & Bahls to sell crude oil to the new Canadian refiner, a subsidiary of Shaheen Natural Resources Co., New York. Marquard & Bahls signs a contract with Saudi Arabia (Petromin) to supply 10 million tons of Safania Crude at $1.08 a barrel with a credit period of 90 days over the space of ten years. This makes Marquard & Bahls the first company – with the exception of Aramco – to sign a crude-oil contract with Saudi Arabia. Marquard & Bahls intends to sell the crude oil to the Canadian refinery for $1.09 a barrel with a credit period of 15 days. In return, Shaheen Natural Resources Co. is to grant Marquard & Bahls the rights to 1.5 million tons of petroleum products a year from the yet-to-be-constructed refinery.

July 1971

Extension of Hamburg Tank Terminal

By May 1970, work has already begun on the Elbe-island 'Hohe Schaar' in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. By the first of December 1970, 50,000 cbm of storage space is available – meaning that for some time now, it has been possible to process tankers at the jetty.

Tank space capacity increases to 115,000 cbm following the completion of the second construction phase in February this year. Four 5,000 cbm tanks store gasoline while the others are used to transship middle distillates. On completion of the third construction phase, including the planned tanks, Mabanaft has a total capacity of 600,000 cbm at its disposal in Hamburg. This strengthens Petronord’s position considerably.

The depth of the Kattwyk-harbour satisfies the prerequisites for tankers of up to 6,000 tons. Marquard & Bahls is extremely lucky that the city of Hamburg has committed itself to maintaining the Elbe's depth. Loading stations for tank cars and loading arms for tank trucks are available to transship imported finished products, mainly from Italy, Spain and the Warsaw Pact. So the company is well-equipped for any new tasks.

October 1971

Development of Mabanaft GmbH's Trading Activities in the South-West

In September 1970, Mabanaft sets up its Bendorf sales division. The trading base is established from the tank terminal in Bendorf, which is almost complete. Mabanaft takes over the Bendorf offices of the recently bankrupt IOS at Entengasse 21, and by mid-November, the company starts trading in heating oil, diesel and gasoline, supplying the middle Rhine region.

Mabanaft GmbH leases tank space from the Bendorf tank terminal and from the company Rheinisch-Nassauisch Spedition und Lagerei Koblenz and delivers products to dealers in the regions of Trier, Eifel, Hunsrück, Westerwald and to the outskirts of Frankfurt/M and Cologne: a wide area between the refineries’ areas of influence in Cologne/Wesseling and Raunheim. The depots are supplied by barges from the area of Antwerp/Rotterdam/Amsterdam.

With the sales division in Karlsruhe and later the 'Südwest' branch office in Bad Soden, Mabanaft’s sales and trade region is extended along the Rhine right down to Basel. In addition to the truck business, the company also delivers by barge and rail tank car. FOB deals exist ex Rotterdam to various domestic refineries and storage locations. The cooperation with paint companies is also being established on varying scales.

January 1972

Bunkering

The demand for bunker oil has risen sharply over the past few years owing to the increase in shipping traffic. The term 'bunker oil' combines heating oil for steam boilers and the fuel needed to operate a ship's diesel engines. Seeing as Mabanaft Nord has a tank terminal in Kiel right on the Kiel Canal, which is then the busiest shipping lane, the company starts up the bunkering business.

On the whole, bunker stations could be compared to tank terminals for international shipping. They have tanks for every type of heating oil. A boiler house provides the steam needed to keep the oil pumpable and to operate the pumps, provided they are not electric pumps. The bunker stations are designed to accommodate a tanker's full load. There are land-based and floating bunker stations. The shipping industry's demand for bunker oil is considerable. The kind of bunker oil required depends not only on the ship's engine type, but also on the arrangement and equipment of the oil bunker, the bunker oil pipes found on the ship and the pumping system. Gas oil, which is sold from the Kiel station, is mostly used by small ships to run their engines while larger vessels burnt heavier oils.

Contact to the shipping companies and brokers is important for the bunkering business. They tell Mabanaft which ships travel the Kiel Canal when, and what fuel they burn. Employees of Mabanaft contact the ships as soon as they reach the Kiel lighthouse and ask them whether they want to bunker with the company. If the answer is yes, the ship moors in the Scheerhafen, the staff connects the hoses on board and starts pumping.

May 1972

North Sea Oil Rush: a Concession in the English North Sea Awarded

One significant find after another has been made in the North Sea since 1970. Marquard & Bahls wants to capitalize on this.

Th. Weisser KG has been awarded a concession in the English North Sea for blocks 3/23 and 38/8. The licence is awarded within the context of a consortium involving Ball & Collins of Great Britain, Deutsche Schachtbau- und Tiefbohrgesellschaft mbH and New England Petroleum, USA. When dealing with geologically uncharted regions, concessionaires occasionally look for partners to share the risks and successes. Deep sea drilling is to start early 1973. The seismic exploration is conducted within the framework of the consortium.

December 1972

25 Years of Marquard & Bahls

In 1972, the company marks its 25th anniversary. All those involved – Theodor Weisser as the driving force, all employees and partners – can look back on our successes with pride. From its modest start as a lubricating oil trader in 1947, the company has grown to become one of Germany’s leading independent petroleum traders. Mabanaft is the foremost independent importer in Germany. We therefore contribute significantly to price stability and are a vital prop when it came to supplying independent distributors.

Internationally, too, Mabanaft is one of the leading and most innovative independent oil-trading organizations . Mabanaft is one of the pioneers in the business of gasoline blending in the ARA area and is one of the parties responsible for creating the Rotterdam spot market. Our ability to guarantee supply rests on product agreements with Russia and Kuwait. We also have crude oil supply contracts with Sojuzneftexport and U.S. partners as well as follow-up contract processing agreements in Italy, Denmark and in the ARA area.

Marquard & Bahls no longer relies solely on Mabanaft's trading activities: Mabanaft/Petronord's tank terminal division is set up as an independent company; as are the service stations and barges with the same purpose in mind. The company is therefore well-equipped for the future. With Mr. Hans Weisser ready to take the reins, the management succession is assured. The new corporate structure (since 1969) with its clear areas of responsibility allows the company to react quickly and flexibly to changing conditions.

And conditions are indeed changing. Germany's economic growth has hit a rough patch and on an international level, there has been an appreciable shift in the balance of power. As far back as 1968, the USA has been warning the other OECD countries that they would no longer be able to act as swing suppliers of crude oil. And on the other side of the fence, the petroleum-producing countries' argument, that they use oil as a weapon, is becoming ever louder. The Group has been equal to the challenges so far and we will master any future challenges, assuming we continue to show the same commitment and loyalty to the company.

December 1973

Theodor Weisser Announces his Resignation from Management

The Christmas party of 1973 is a historical company milestone: Mr. Theodor Weisser announces his resignation from management. Back in 1968, Theodor Weisser had already transferred responsibility for all the companies involved in trade, transport and storage of finished petroleum products to his son Hans Weisser. After the end of the year, all areas which are not immediately concerned with petroleum will be managed by Hellmuth Weisser. Theodor Weisser thanks all his employees for their loyalty and years of hard work.

February 1979

Mabanaft GmbH Leaves Hamburg and Moves to Neuss

In response to the ban on importing light heating oil containing more than 0.3% sulfur, Europe's largest independent oil trading company has moved the Mabanaft GmbH headquarters to Neuss. The new law limiting the sulfur content of gas oil to 0.3% came into force at the beginning of the year,. Mabanaft had requested a waiver for a transition period, but it was denied by Hamburg’s Senator. Unlike the petroleum companies, which can influence the output of their own refineries abroad, and thus the content of their imports, in its sourcing of middle distillates, Mabanaft is largely dependent on foreign refineries, which have not yet fully made the switch.

The independent importers have each applied to their state governments for an exceptional permit for the year in progress for imported heating oil containing the erstwhile levels of sulfur. The Federal States Committee of the Home Secretaries approved the applications – but not Hamburg’s Senator. Despite being advised that this is an unreasonable distortion of competition, he denies Mabanaft’s waiver request. Mabanaft decides to act, and obtains the waiver at its new headquarters.

January 1985

Management Changeover

After 25 years with the company, Hans-Werner Weisser retires for health reasons. As of January 1, 1985, the Holding’s Management consists of the existing Managing Directors Hellmuth Weisser and Dr Joachim Brinkmann.

January 1987

Change in Capital and Management Structure: From Stumm Back to Marquard & Bahls

An unpopular name is ditched and the group Mabanaft/Oiltanking returns to its roots: 40 years earlier, Theodor Weisser had started his oil business in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg as "Marquard & Bahls.” For ten years now, the business has traded under the name of Stumm GmbH. According to the management, its return to the original name signifies the completion of the group's reorganization.

The reorganization focuses on the clear legal separation of the two main areas of business: oil trading (Mabanaft) and the tank terminal business (Oiltanking), as well as the clear delineation of powers between holding/corporate management and the management of the operational divisions. In future there will no longer be any overlap between managers of the holding and those of the subsidiaries. Each subsidiary's management is now fully responsible for their own business. This reduces Marquard & Bahls dependence on individual staff members, in a restructuring precipitated by Hans Weisser's resignation at the end of 1984.

May 1990

Opening of the New Company Headquarters on Admiralitätstraße

As of May 4, 1990, all Hamburg employees work under a shared roof. This day has been long in the making: First the former state employment agency’s building was purchased in 1987, then building plans had to be drawn up and approved before the actual building could finally begin. In February 1989, the extension and conversion work began. Except for the exterior walls, some sections of the glass façade, and the ceilings, the building was completely demolished before the builders could make the necessary changes and add a new top floor. And it didn't stop there: a complete technological overhaul took place, in which kilometers of electrical, telephone and computing cable were laid, and heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems were installed. All this was before the interior construction could get underway: dividing walls were put up, ceilings lowered and windows and doors were put in place. Fifteen months later, the offices are now ready for move-in. Besides shortening communications paths, the shared building is expected to strengthen the feeling of belonging to one group.

April 1991

Mabanaft Representative Office in Poland

Mabanaft has had an office in Warsaw since February 1991. When the Iron Curtain came down for good in 1989/1990, there was suddenly considerable demand for gasoline in Poland. The Polish refineries are unable to meet the steadily burgeoning domestic demand. On top of this, the opening of the CIS States has created additional demand, causing Poland to increasingly serve as a transit country. Mabanaft recognizes the potential of this market, and opens a representative office in Warsaw in February 1991.

June 1994

Takeover of FINA's Network of 12 Stations in Northern Germany

At the beginning of the month, Marquard & Bahls takes control of FINA's network of 12 stations in Northern Germany. By the late 1980s, Mabanaft has once again begun to take an active interest in service stations. Mabanaft seeks to establish a firm foothold in the gasoline business, either by securing supply contracts with independent service station operators or by buying its own stations. The FINA deal is another step in this direction. The takeover expands its network to 29 service stations.

Marquard & Bahls has set up a separate subsidiary for the service-station business, and on January 1, 1994, Mabanaft's service-station business is transferred to MHK GmbH. A contract between Mabanaft and MHK serves to secure supplies. At the beginning of 1995, MHK’s organization is focused in Hamburg. In future, it is planned to intensify the company’s involvement in service stations. Marquard & Bahls earmarks funds of up to DM 60 million to be invested for this purpose.

November 1994

Takeover of One of the Swedish Nynacs-Group's Trade Deals – Mabanaft Paris Becomes Mabanaft S.a.r.l.

In early 1994 Marquard & Bahls seizes the chance to take over one of the Swedish Nynacs-Group's trade deals in Lille (France), estimated at 500,000 annual tonnage. This business is incorporated into Mabanaft Paris to form Mabanaft S.a.r.l.

February 1996

Founding of Petronord Energie- und Wärmekonzepte GmbH

Petronord Energie- und Wärmekonzepte GmbH is founded to take over and accelerate the retail business activities that have been ongoing at Mabanaft since the 1980s. Petronord serves as a holding company for medium-sized petroleum traders in this process. The beginning of a success story that empowers traders to survive in an increasingly competitive energy market through individual models of investment or cooperation.

February 1996

Petronord Launches New End-Consumer Business Model with Mühlenbruch Stinnes in Bremen

In February 1996, Petronord takes over the business operations of Mühlenbruch Stinnes GmbH & Co. KG, beginning the expansion of its end-consumer business. Mühlenbruch Stinnes is a medium-sized company that has been active in oil trading in the Bremen area for decades at this point. Its main focus is the heating oil end-consumer business; the company supplies private as well as industrial and commercial customers.

January 1997

Executive Board Changes

Marquard & Bahls was run in a very decentralized manner up until a few years ago. Both Mabanaft and Oiltanking had two managing directors each. In 1993 Marquard & Bahls' Executive Board resolves to take a more active part in the day-to-day running of the business. The decision is made to limit Mabanaft and Oiltanking to one managing director apiece and to appoint these managers to the Marquard & Bahls Board, where they will each represent the interests of their business line. This will give the Board one member responsible for the entire corporation, and two members looking after either Oiltanking or Mabanaft. Hellmuth Weisser is to lead the team as Chairman of the Board. Since January 1, 1997 the Board has consisted of Mr. Hellmuth Weisser, Mr. Joachim Brinkmann and Mr. Wim Lokhorst. A fourth member, primarily responsible for Mabanaft Trading, is to be appointed to the Board at a later date.

December 1997

50 Years of Marquard & Bahls

Looking at our market position and capitalisation, we can see just how far we have come in the first fifty years. From practically nothing, Mabanaft – our trading subsidiary – has developed into the largest German, and one of the leading European independent oil traders. And although the tank terminal subsidiary Oiltanking began 25 years ago with somewhat more capital and was already equipped with various terminals in Germany, this was on a small scale. So its ranking of number 4 supplier in the world is a very impressive accomplishment. We have every reason to be proud of what we have achieved. In addition, the exceptional profits made in 1996 have brightened up the festivities this year. This does not, however, mean we can rest on our laurels.

In terms of capital, we are relatively strong for an independent, yet compared to our competitors, the major oil companies, our capital reserves are small. It is therefore essential to realize that we cannot afford to make serious mistakes, and that we need to adapt to new conditions quicker than others. It has been our practice to spread our risk between domestic and international business as well as between short-term trade risk and the longer-term tank terminal business. This has given us a certain risk buffer against sudden upheavals.

Our most important "capital" is of course our staff. It is their commitment and innovation that has made our growth over the last 50 years possible; and it will no doubt help us master the challenges of the next 50 years. Without the energy put into every task and that last dollop of effort, success would not be possible – and this applies equally to the future.

It was and is essential that all levels of the company pyramid remain aware of the fact that our existence hinges on our timely performance in the market.

October 1998

Petronord Grows with the Integration of Klindworth – Followed a Year Later by Kronol

Klindworth Mineralölhandel strengthens the Group from October 1998, and Kronol Mineralölhandel joins it in September 1999. With these two firms, Petronord acquires two Hamburg companies whose business activities are focused on the sale of heating oil products as well as the field of tank and heating technology. The Klindworth and Kronol customer base includes private households as well as property management companies.

From 2001 on, Klindworth Mineralölhandel and Kronol Mineralölhandel form a single company and do business as Klindworth-Kronol.

December 1998

Wittemöller Mineralöle Marks Debut of Petronord Investment Model

Following intensive negotiations, in December 1998, Petronord’s first individual investment model is launched, which manages the business activities of Friedrich Wittemöller KG under the name Wittemöller Mineralöle GmbH. Friedrich Wittemöller KG is a well-established regional family business that has served as an Esso AG distribution partner for decades. In addition to the classic heating oil and diesel business, as well as its own service stations, the company’s focus is on the lubricants sector. Beyond this, Wittemöller Mineralöle has its own tank terminal right on the Mittelland Canal, and thus a strategically very valuable direct link to shipping.

November 1999

Further Growth at Petronord: Lipps Mineralöle GmbH in Hagen

In November 1999, the Petronord Group gains a new member: Lipps Mineralöle GmbH. Founded in 1869, the company has been a family-run business ever since. From its base in Hagen-Hohenlimburg, Lipps supplies heating oil and diesel to private customers and businesses in the southern Ruhr region, the Märkischer Kreis, and Sauerland. The company is also active in the lubricants business, and runs its own card-operated service stations.

April 2000

Mabanaft Founds a Trading Company in Moldova

In April 2000, Mabanaft sets up its own trading company in the East European republic of Moldova: Mabanaft Moldova GmbH. One of the company’s first big transactions is the purchase of a majority stake (82%) in the state-owned oil trading company Tirex, which owns 15 tank terminals, seven sub-tank terminals and 49 service stations at the time. This privatization brings with it a five-year investment plan, as the facilities are to a large extent obsolete, and the organizational structure extremely inefficient.

This gives rise to various tasks for Mabanaft. Supplies need to be secured for a start. Moldova doesn’t have its own oil deposits and therefore needs to import petroleum from neighboring countries. Mabanaft also wants to advance a reorganization of Tirex, which will take several years.

Moldova is interesting for Mabanaft because it can serve as a model, so to speak, for future investment projects in Eastern Europe. It allows Mabanaft to gain, with containable risk, experience in how to set up a stable business from scratch even under unfavorable conditions.

September 2000

Discontinuation of the Mabanaft Location in France

Marquard & Bahls’ success is attributable among other things to its ability to withdraw from unprofitable ventures whenever necessary. In late 2000, a lack of prospects leads to Mabanaft’s decision to give up its French office. Mabanaft S.A.R.L. has been active in France since 1984 with mixed success. The 1994 takeover of the French company Bricout Nynäs France has initially provided a much-needed boost. However, the difficult market structures have an increasingly adverse effect on the business’s development. Other independent oil trading businesses are also withdrawing from France in ever increasing numbers. With Mabanaft’s departure, the last free importer leaves the country.

February 2001

Digol Energieservice Strengthens Petronord in Hesse and Thuringia

In mid-2000, the Digol Group – a historic company in the Fulda area – is one of the first victims of the price war at service stations. While OIL! takes over the group’s service stations, Petronord acquires the company’s trading activities. Digol supplies private households as well as customers in trade, industry and agriculture with heating oil, diesel, gasoline and lubricants.

April 2001

Petronord Puts Things Together, Creates Companies NEWCo Neue Energie- und Wärmekonzepte and Petrocargo

In April 2001, the Petronord shareholding Wittemöller Mineralöle (Lübbecke) and the companies Hempelmann (Hiddenhausen) and Kemena (Löhne) merge to become NEWCo Neue Energie- und Wärmekonzepte. Until now, all three companies have been doing business as competitors in the same region. In addition to traditional oil trading, the new company runs card-operated service stations specifically for transport companies and others, which are now connected across Europe under the tankpool24 brand. As an ISO-certified lubricants expert, NEWCo is one of ExxonMobil’s largest lubricants partners in Germany.

Concurrently to the merger of the three companies, their logistics are pooled in Petrocargo Mineralöllogistik. Initially its main customer is NEWCo, but Petrocargo also offers other oil companies in the region support with export logistics.

July 2001

MHK Acquires Another 54 Service Stations

On July 1, 2001, the MHK Group takes over Grönwoldt Tankstellen GmbH & Co. KG’s 54 service stations located in Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and in the Hamburg area. This brings the number of service stations in the MHK network to approx. 170.

November 2001

Striking New Paths: Petronord Expands Pool Service-Station Business Activities with Staack

In November 2001, Petronord takes over all of Staack Mineralölhandel GmbH’s 33 service stations for commercial heavy-load transport, and the associated customer base, into the newly founded Staack Pooltankstellen GmbH. The company also becomes a member of tankpool24 at the same time, and goes on to expand the business under the tankpool24 brand.

July 2002

Petronord Acquires Stake in Arnsberg-based Kaiser Söhne Through Lipps Mineralöle in Hagen

Founded in 1899 and based in Arnsberg, Kaiser Söhne GmbH looks back on more than a century of oil trading. At the time of the takeover, Kaiser Söhne has been owned by ESSO Rhein-Ruhr for several years. Together with Karl-Josef Brachthäuser in Finnentrop – another ExxonMobil strategic distribution partner – Lipps Mineralöle acquires the company. Kaiser Söhne specializes in the sale of lubricants.

In 2003, Lipps Mineralöle transfers its complete lubricant business to Kaiser Söhne.

August 2002

A New Company From Mabanaft: Benol Becomes Part of the Petronord Group

In 1999, Mabanaft begins operating its end-consumer business in the Frankfurt region under the name Benol Energieservice. As of 2001, as part of further acquisitions, Mabanaft’s end-consumer business in Karlsruhe and the surrounding region is also organizationally part of Benol. In 2002, Mabanaft transfers Benol to Petronord.

Both Benol in Frankfurt and the site in Karlsruhe supply heating oil to end-consumer households. They also supply heating oil, diesel and gasoline to commercial and municipal customers as well as to industrial companies.

January 2003

The Petronord Network Expands: Deglmann Energie Becomes the Tenth Company in the Alliance

On January 1, 2003, Petronord launches operations of Deglmann Energie GmbH & Co. KG together with the Deglmann family. At the same time, this new company acquires the end-consumer business of Deglmann Mineralöl GmbH based in Weiden – a long-established regional oil trading company and long-standing Shell distribution partner. The company, which increases the number of Petronord shareholdings to ten, operates branches in Weiden, Schwandorf and Regensburg, giving Petronord its first locations in Bavaria.

Besides heating oil and fuels, the Deglmann Energie product range also includes lubricants for the industrial, automotive, construction and freight forwarding companies, other cooling lubricants for metalworking, and lubricants for the food industry.

January 2003

Mabanaft Takes Over Gamma Mineralölhandelsgesellschaft, Vienna

At the end of January 2003 Mabanaft GmbH acquires all shares (100%) in Gamma Mineralölhandelsgesellschaft mbH, Vienna. This acquisition marks the next step toward the further regional expansion of Mabanaft activities, and strengthens its footprint in Austria. Following the approval of the Austrian Cartel Authority, Gamma would be renamed Mabanaft Austria.

Gamma has many years of experience in trading with mineral oil products, both in Austria and in southeast Europe, where the company is able to take advantage of emerging arbitrage-dealing options. Going forward, Gamma or Mabanaft Austria will work closely with all other Mabanaft companies with the aim of expanding business in Austria on the one hand, and promoting trading activities in southeast Europe on the other.

February 2003

Mabanaft Acquires Viterra Contracting, Bochum

For around two years, Mabanaft has also been active in energy contracting through its subsidiary WECON Wärme und Energie Contracting GmbH. Following initial success, the company seeks further growth opportunities, e.g. by working with a specialist partner. In February 2003, after protracted negotiations, Viterra Contracting is acquired retroactively as of January 1, 2003. Later, in April 2004, Viterra Contracting GmbH & Co. KG is renamed Proenergy Contracting GmbH & Co. KG.

Viterra Contracting GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Viterra AG with revenues in the order of 30 million euros. At this time, the company services approx. 3,000 heat supply contracts totalling in excess of 300 MW. Viterra Contracting’s business is primarily concentrated in Germany, with holdings in Hungary and Austria. Viterra Contracting products are marketed under the "proenergy" name. Mabanaft acquires the rights to this brand name/trademark.

The contracting business itself can be compared to full-service leasing. Services include supplying and installing equipment, supplying energy, operation and service management, as well as financing, insurance and warranties. Energy and heating bills are optional extras. Energy contracting is ideal for large buildings, such as apartment blocks, office complexes, industrial buildings and municipal structures.

The entry into the end-user business primarily pursues the aim of utilizing synergies within the company. By acquiring Viterra Contracting, Mabanaft also acquires, in addition to the aforementioned contract volume, important market contacts and references for further accelerating the expansion of the heat contracting business.

March 2003

Böttcher Energie – A Strong New Partner in the North Bavarian Region

Petronord joins Mr. Richard Böttcher in starting up the business operations of Böttcher Energie GmbH & Co. KG on March 1, 2003. Further to this move, the new company acquires the end-consumer business of Böttcher & Huber, a long-established regional oil trading company based in Regensburg, originally founded as a coal trader. Now an established energy trader, the company’s product spectrum ranges from heating oil and pellets to diesel and lubricants.

June 2003

A New Look for OIL! – Service Stations in a New Guise

The 50 OIL! service stations belonging to the MHK service station organization are given a new look. Step one: design a new logo that is both succinct and appealing, yet not too far removed from the old "OIL!" logo. After all, existing OIL! Customers should still be able to recognize "their" service station.

After much thought, OIL! continued to be written in capitals, with the prominent exclamation mark at the end, and a new tagline below: "frei & flott” (≈ freely & fast). Instead of the original three colors, only two are now used: a warm purple combined with a strong green. The stations’ overall color scheme is then redone to match the new logo. Starting November, the new OIL! look is on view at the Flensburg and Düsseldorf OIL! stations, the first two to get the makeover.

Over time, all 50 OIL! stations are to be redone in the new color scheme. A conversion of the remaining 120 service stations still operating under the bft logo into OIL! stations is also considered. This would give the entire MHK/MDT service station network a uniform look.

January 2004

Mabanaft Gets Involved in End-Consumer Business in Austria Through Petronord

Mabanaft Austria Holding GmbH & Co. KG acquires a stake in Manfred Mayer MMM Mineralölvertriebsgesellschaft mbH in Austria with effect from January 1, 2004. The other shareholder in the company is the Mayer family of Neudörfl. Since the early 1970s, the company with locations in Neudörfl (head office), Vienna and Oberwart has supplied households, commercial and industrial companies as well as discount service stations and heating oil traders – in the Burgenland region as well as Vienna, Lower Austria and Styria. The product and service portfolio ranges from high-quality heating oils and lubricants, to fuels, to petroleum transport.

Similarly to the Petronord shareholdings in Germany, the involvement in the end-consumer business in Austria initially serves to support Mabanaft Austria’s trading business. The technical responsibility lies with Petronord from the beginning. At a later date, the Mabanaft Austria shareholding is transferred to Petronord.

February 2004

Founding of Mabanaft Inc., Connecticut

Mabanaft had always had a strong position in Europe. For several months now, the trading company has been busy developing the market on the East Coast of the United States. To continue on its international growth path, Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg, founds Mabanaft Inc. in America, which focuses mainly on trading in heating oil.

Since June 1, Mabanaft Inc. has supplied its customers in Connecticut with gasoil and diesel from a tank terminal in New Haven. By wholesaling middle distillates in the U.S., Mabanaft expands its international footprint with a view to strengthening its trade position. An optimum supply from local refineries is as important in this as the exploitation of possible options for imports from Europe is.

The company is able to draw on the international experience of Mabanaft Holding Group – which is already active in Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Moldova, Hungary, the Netherlands and England – and leverage synergies.

Starting May 18, 2004, Mabanaft Inc. is also active in energy futures trading on the NYMEX in New York, thereby creating a further prerequisite for successful trading. Trading in futures contracts serves as a hedge for its own trade and inventory positions, as well as for optimizing the pricing of the sale contracts per customer.

The Trading Business in the US

The trading business is characterized by “a highly sophisticated approach” to pricing – a strong stock market orientation. Oil prices are an integral part of the daily news, and the focus of public attention. Trade is extremely seasonal, as demand for heating oil is essentially limited to the winter months. Very small tanks mean fortnightly or monthly deliveries, and customers need to negotiate a delivery service contract beforehand if they want to avoid running out of heating oil.

May 2005

Mabanaft Centralizes its International Trading Activities in Rotterdam

Mabanaft centralizes the international trading activities of Mabanaft International GmbH & Co. KG and B.V. Mabanaft in Rotterdam. Accordingly, all trading activities in Mabanaft International in Hamburg are terminated and continued in Rotterdam instead. After the termination of the trading activities in Mabanaft International, this company is modified into an operational services entity, meaning that all operational activities related to cargo trading will continue to be handled from Hamburg.

September 2005

Mabanaft Expands to the Mediterranean Sea: Founding of Mabanaft Energy in Istanbul

As part of its international expansion strategy, Mabanaft establishes a joint venture with Enerji Petrol Denizcilik Ticaret Ve Sanayi A.S. The partners each hold 50% in the new company. The new company operates under the name of Mabanaft Enerji Ticaret Ve Sanayi A.S. and is based in Istanbul, Turkey.

Energy Petrol is active not only in the bunker oil but also in the gasoil business. With a market share of 15%, Energy Petrol is at the time one of the leading bunker suppliers in Turkey. To assure a high quality standard, the company operates eight bunker barges, the second-largest bunker barge fleet in Turkey.

Accordingly, Mabanaft Energy focuses on the wholesale of middle distillates in the Istanbul area. The joint venture builds on the existing long business relationship between the two parties: Mabanaft had been supplying bunker fuel to Energy Petrol since the Turkish trading partner was founded in 1997. Now both partners can benefit from their respective strengths – Energy Petrol has a good overview of the region’s market, while Mabanaft contributes its international trading experience to the joint venture.

By establishing the new subsidiary, Mabanaft adds an attractive location to its portfolio. The greater Istanbul region with its 16 million inhabitants is characterized by strong economic growth at the time.

October 2005

Petronord Achieves Further Growth in Austria with Another Lubricants Business: Lubes Services Austria

In October 2005, ExxonMobil’s strategic decision to sell lubricants in Austria exclusively through regional dealers leads NEWCo and Manfred Mayer MMM Mineralölvertriebsgesellschaft mbH to jointly found a new company, LSA (Lubes Services Austria). From the beginning, LSA is one of ExxonMobil’s strategic sales partners in Austria. From its base in Vienna, the medium-sized oil trading company sells the entire product range of the Mobil and Esso brands based in Vienna, which does business for industrial, trade and commercial sector in large parts of Austria.

February 2006

Ethanol 85 (E85): OIL! Shows Its Pioneering Spirit

OIL! is the first German service station company to offer Ethanol 85 (E85) under the brand name “CropPower85.” Drivers can fill up with the new fuel at three service stations in Germany: in Hennef, Troisdorf and Saarlouis. More stations followed later, e.g. Bremen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hochheim and Kiel in October.

However, political conditions continue to be a prerequisite for a nationwide E85 offer in Germany. The existing system of fuel tax exemption for biofuels is expected to be continued for fuels with a high proportion of biogenic components.

E85 is the fuel of a new generation of vehicles: "Flexible Fuel Vehicles," which can use either E85 or “Super” grade gasoline. E85 consists of 85% bio-ethanol and 15% gasoline. Bio-ethanol is made from wheat, rye or wood. The fuel is low in sulfur, free of aromatic substances, and is designed to help reduce harmful CO2 emissions. At the same time, it would help to lessen dependence upon fossil fuels.

By selling biodiesel and then E85 in addition to conventional fuels, OIL! Tankstellen presents itself as an innovative company in the independent service-station market. OIL! Tankstellen GmbH has operated a continuously growing network of service stations under the OIL! brand in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 1994. More than 200 of the 250 OIL! service stations at the time are located in Germany.

January 2007

Petronord Further Expands End-Consumer Business by Founding Hartmann Energie

Petronord acquires the end-consumer businesses of Klaus Hartmann GmbH and Digol Energie GmbH with effect from January 1, 2007. The two companies are merged under the umbrella of the newly established Hartmann Energie GmbH & Co. KG in Oberleichtersbach (Bavaria). Klaus Hartmann GmbH is a well-established regional oil trading company and has been a close business partner of Mabanaft Frankfurt for many years.

Klaus Hartmann takes over Digol Energie GmbH with its Künzell and Schmalkalden branches from Petronord in May 2005. With the acquisition of the two companies on January 1, 2007, Digol Energie returns to the Petronord Group as a branch of Hartmann Energie.

July 2007

Mabanaft Opens New Trading Office in Singapore

As part of its international growth strategy, Mabanaft opens a new office in Singapore on July 2, 2007. The new subsidiary operates under the name of Mabanaft Pte. Ltd. and trades physical petroleum products and derivatives in the Far East. It is also expected to help ensure constant market liquidity.

A team of experienced employees analyzes market imbalances and develops solutions tailored to each customer’s requirements. The team coordinates its work closely with the Mabanaft offices in Rotterdam and Houston.

After Rotterdam and Houston, Singapore is Mabanaft’s third mainstay of international trade.

September 2007

Mabanaft Founds New Trading Company: Mabanaft East Europe

Mabanaft East Europe, based in Hamburg, is established to capitalize on trading opportunities in Eastern Europe, particularly in the former Soviet Union, and in doing so benefit from the long years of experience gained within the Mabanaft organization. The focus is on developing new lines of business in the Eastern European and CIS countries, and on integrating the trading activities in Russia and Turkey. The Mabanaft East Europe trading team collaborates closely with the subsidiaries in Moscow, Chisinau, and Istanbul, and its export business is transacted in close consultation with the Mabanaft B.V. team in Rotterdam.

January 2008

Number of Petronord Shareholdings Rises to Fifteen with Addition of Keck in Brakel

On January 1, 2008, Petronord and Mr. Lars Keck jointly acquire the end-consumer business of the firm Erich Keck e.K. in Brakel, and transfer it to the new company Keck Energieservice GmbH & Co. KG. Erich Keck e.K. is a long-established regional oil trading company. Besides being active in the traditional heating oil and diesel business, the company is active in the pool station business, both as a shareholder of tankpool24 with 37 service stations, and as a strategic partner of ExxonMobil in the lubricants market. By taking this step, Petronord further expands and diversifies its end-consumer business and continues to resolutely build on the regional identity of its shareholdings.

March 2008

Lubricants Business in the Petronord Group Grows Steadily – with JB GERMAN OIL

Wittenburg-based JB GERMAN OIL joins Petronord with effect from March 2008. The company is focused on the sale and production of lubricants. JB GERMAN OIL exports to more than 30 countries in Europe, North Africa, and the Near, Middle and Far East, where the lubricants supplied by JB German OIL are successfully marketed by local retail partners and distributors.

March 2008

Mabanaft Founds Joint Venture for Bunker Business in India and Singapore

Matrix Marine Fuels L.P., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mabanaft, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), an Indian government undertaking, sign an agreement to form a joint venture company. Matrix-Bharat Marine Services Pte. Ltd., based in Singapore, is set up to establish an international bunkering business in India and Singapore.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mumbai, is the second-largest marketing oil company in India and is engaged in the refining, storing, marketing and distribution of petroleum products, including bunkering of vessels. The joint venture company is thus able to draw on BPCL’s refining expertise to supply residual and distillate fuels (fuel oil, marine diesel oil, marine gasoil, cutter stock) for bunker supply.

The joint venture enters into a long-term commitment for the use of customized tanks and infrastructure at the Oiltanking Odfjell Terminal Singapore.

April 2008

Petronord Further Increases Number of Lubricants Companies with OILTECH Lubes Service

OILTECH Lubes Service GmbH & Co. KG based in Dusseldorf is active under the Petronord group umbrella, where it strengthens the lubricants business, as of April 2008. Since 2001, the company has sold branded lubricants in the car-dealership and repair-shop segment. The core territory for OILTECH’s business extends across the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, the Saarland, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

September 2008

Marquard & Bahls Expands Its Executive Board

In recent years Marquard & Bahls has significantly grown both its existing and new lines of business. The company’s Executive and Supervisory Board therefore decides to increase the number of Executive Board members from two to four. Alongside Wim Lokhorst (Chief Executive Officer) and Claus-George Nette (Chief Financial Officer), two new members are appointed to the Executive Board: Christian Flach and Gust Spaepen.

In addition to their new responsibilities, Christian Flach and Gust Spaepen remains Managing Directors of Mabanaft and Oiltanking respectively. This measure enhances representation of the company’s two core divisions – trading and tank storage – on the Executive Board of Marquard & Bahls, and gives the company’s management a broader overall setup.

October 2008

Mabanaft, the Petronord Group and OIL! Tankstellen Found Initiative Pro Klima

Mabanaft, the Petronord Group and OIL! Tankstellen launch Initiative Pro Klima to jointly initiate and fund climate research and climate protection projects in Germany. In addition, Initiative Pro Klima also offers efficient products and provides information and advice on environmentally relevant energy issues.

The first project involves funding a post-doctoral research position at the KlimaCampus Hamburg in connection with the first-time long-term measurement and analysis of rainfall over the oceans. The first of the initiative’s various reforestation projects takes place in cooperation with the Schleswig-Holstein State Forestry in November 2008 on an area of approximately 100,000 m² in Bönebüttel, Plön district, where more than 40,000 trees are planted.

November 2008

Mabanaft Limited Acquires South Eastern Fuels Limited

By taking over the company South Eastern Fuels Limited (SEFL), Mabanaft Limited expands its business model, which had already proven its worth in the successful integration of BWOC, a wholesaler based in the Southwest of England. From this point on, SEFL is active in the market under the name Advance Fuels Limited.

Mabanaft Limited has operated in the UK from its London base for over 40 years. The company supplies automotive and heating fuels to commercial customers from storage facilities at Grays, Cardiff, Immingham, Seal Sands and Grangemouth. South Eastern Fuels Limited operates from its Harefield and Croydon depots on the outskirts of London. The company serves bulk distribution, third-party haulage, as well as commercial and domestic fuels customers.

February 2009

Mabanaft Limited Acquires Thomas Silvey

Thomas Silvey becomes part of Mabanaft Limited, London, at the beginning of the year. The move expands Mabanaft’s business model, which had already proven its worth in the recent acquisition of Advance Fuels and the earlier, successful integration of BWOC.

Thomas Silvey was founded in Bristol in 1871 and initially traded with coal. Later, the company successively expans its portfolio, which now includes – beyond the supply of contract service stations – the business with fuel cards for private as well as commercial customers. Beyond this, Thomas Silvey also provides third-party haulage services to the industry.

May 2009

OIL! Issues Its Own KlimaCard

The OIL! KlimaCard introduced in May 2009 lets customers and OIL! Tankstellen jointly contribute to protecting the environment. For each liter of fuel purchased, a fixed sum is donated to Initiative Pro Klima, which initiates and funds climate research and climate-protection projects in Germany.

When paying for the fuel, the customer presents the KlimaCard at the checkout. For each liter of fuel purchased, Initiative Pro Klima gets 1.25 Cents from the customer. OIL! Tankstellen matches this, doubling the donation to 2.50 Cents per liter. The monies are later used for tree-planting projects.

December 2009

Mabanaft Expands into Carbon Trading

In December 2009, Mabanaft expands its portfolio of trading activities to include the carbon-trading business. To position itself strategically in the global carbon market, Mabanaft B.V., its Rotterdam-based subsidiary, hires a team with experience in carbon trading. The international activities and global network of Mabanaft and Marquard & Bahls’ other subsidiaries will lead to good business opportunities that Mabanaft plans to exploit in conjunction with the new carbon-trading team. Mabanaft sees a lot of growth potential ahead for the new line of business.

February 2010

Expansion of the Bunker Business – Oman and South Africa

Mabanaft has been successfully involved in the bunker business on the U.S. Gulf Coast for years through its subsidiary Matrix Marine Fuels. Based on these many years of experience, the company further expands its bunker activities under the umbrella of the newly founded Matrix Marine Holding in Hamburg. After the addition of Singapore and India in 2008 and 2009, the bunker supply business is now established in Oman and South Africa as well.

To achieve this, in mid-January Matrix Marine Holding and Oman Oil sign a collaboration agreement in Oman, with the objective of offering bunker services at the Port of Sohar from mid-2010. Sohar is a very attractive location because of its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route in the Middle East.

In South Africa, at the beginning of February another joint venture is established between Matrix Marine Holding and Calulo Services, which is already active in the local bunker market through its subsidiary Kepu Trading. Matrix Kepu Bunkers initially offers its services in major South African ports, such as Durban, Richards Bay, and Cape Town. In the medium term, an expansion along the East and West African coast and to the islands in the Indian Ocean is planned.

April 2010

A New Name at Petronord: Mabanol

From April 2010, the newly founded company Mabanol is active in the lubricants business and establishes its products in the market under that brand. Nationally, the lubricants are distributed through direct sales; internationally, Mabanol sells the products to renowned trading partners.

October 2010

Mühlenbruch Stinnes Schmierstoffservice Marks Further Expansion of Petronord’s Lubricant Activities

To ensure optimum, professional support specifically for business customers in all matters related to the Mabanol brand, Petronord founds Mühlenbruch Stinnes Schmierstoffservice GmbH & Co. KG. The new company is based in Bremen, and its sales territory covers the whole of Germany. Mühlenbruch Stinnes Schmierstoffservice sells the entire product portfolio of the Mabanol brand, i.e. lubricants for automotive (cars and trucks) as well as for industrial use. The entire offer is specifically aimed at mineral oil traders and trading partners that are active in the lubricants sector or would like to be.

October 2010

Marquard & Bahls Sells Its Energy Contracting Business

Proenergy, a Mabanaft subsidiary active in contracting, is sold to Cofely Deutschland, a subsidiary of the GDF Suez Group. Mabanaft had acquired Proenergy in early 2003 and had positioned it as a competent, reliable provider of energy contracting services. Proenergy currently operates more than 3,400 installations in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Rumania.

Under the management of Marquard & Bahls, Proenergy successfully continues its development, and has excellent growth prospects. However, it has too few elements in common with Marquard & Bahls’ core activities.

January 2011

Petronord Enters New Territory: Bitumen Enhances Product Diversity within the Group

In January 2011, Petronord enters a new line of business: The newly founded Mabanol Bitumen GmbH & Co. KG specializes in the marketing of bitumen and bitumen components to national and international customers as well as end-users from various industries. Its focus will be on industrial applications, road construction and roof sheeting. The founding of Mabanol Bitumen brings the number of Petronord Group companies to 20.

January 2011

Realignment of the Pellets Business

To better leverage synergies between the various business units of Marquard & Bahls AG, the trade with wood pellets and other biofuels, which was previously assigned to the sister company GEE Energy, is incorporated into Mabanaft Deutschland at the beginning of 2011. This enables Mabanaft Deutschland to offer its customers a one-stop source for heating oil and pellets.

July 2011

Expansion of the Petronord End-Consumer Business: Acquisition of Greiner GmbH in Wabern

On July 1, 2011, the company Greiner GmbH becomes part of the Petronord Group. As an Aral brand partner, Greiner GmbH is a long-established regional oil trading company that operates in the traditional heating oil and diesel business as well as the lubricants market. Alongside Benol and Digol, a branch of Hartmann, Petronord continues to expand its footprint in the federal state of Hesse.

September 2011

Expansion of the Bunkering Business: Mabanaft Acquires Bominflot

The acquisition of Bominflot turns Mabanaft into one of the world's five largest bunkering groups. The combination of Bominflot and Matrix Marine, Mabanaft's subsidiary in the bunkering business, will enable both companies to secure further growth by effectively and sustainably leveraging their respective strengths long-term.

Under the agreement, all bunkering operations of Bominflot and Matrix Marine are combined into the Bominflot Group, which then operates under the Mabanaft umbrella. The companies continue to do business under their existing names, which are well established in the market.

With more than 35 years of experience at this time, Bominflot is one of the leading independent bunker traders and suppliers. Its business activities range from the supply of bunker fuels and lubricants, to cargo trading, to many other services to the shipping industry. Operating around the globe with a staff of more than 300 in 36 offices worldwide, Bominflot is organized into three regions: Americas, Europe/Africa and Far East/Middle East.

At this point, Mabanaft has been involved in the bunkering business for almost 15 years through its subsidiary Matrix Marine. The 1997 acquisition of Houston-based Matrix Marine Fuels marked Mabanaft's entry into the business, since which time it has established itself as a leading independent supplier of bunker fuels and related services. Its locations at the time of acquisition include the U.S. Gulf Coast, Singapore, Oman and India.

March 2012

Petronord Grows in North Rhine-Westphalia with Founding of Uhlenbruck & Kemmann Energie

Petronord begins the business operations of the newly founded Uhlenbruck & Kemmann Energie GmbH on March 1, 2012. The new company incorporates the end-consumer businesses of Hermann Uhlenbruck Mineralölvertrieb GmbH in Mülheim and Eduard Kemmann GmbH & Co. Mineralölhandel in Kaarst.

Hermann Uhlenbruck Mineralölvertrieb GmbH is a long-established regional oil trading company. Besides the traditional heating oil and diesel business, the company is also strongly engaged in the pool-stations business as a tankpool24 partner with 19 sites. The company Eduard Kemmann GmbH & Co. Mineralölhandel is a strategic distribution partner of ExxonMobil in the lubricants market, a partnership that will be continued by the new company.

August 2012

Bomin and Linde Establish Joint Venture in Liquefied Natural Gas for the Marine Market

Bomin and The Linde Group, a technology company, announce the establishment of a joint venture company to build an infrastructure for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the maritime sector in Europe. The 50/50 joint venture will be based in Hamburg and will start its operations in the latter part of 2012.

The aim of the new joint venture is to establish a reliable LNG supply chain that would provide safe, environmentally friendly fuel to ship owners and operators. Linde contributes its vast experience in cryogenics and its best in class engineering know-how, while Bomin supports the joint venture with its excellent track record in maritime bunker fuel trading and operations.

Vessel emissions in ECAs would have to be reduced further on January 1, 2015, forcing ship owners to limit their sulfur emissions drastically. Especially compared to conventional heavy fuel oil, LNG offers a near-100% reduction of emissions in sulfur and particulate matter, 80-85% in nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 20-25% in CO2 emissions. A network of LNG storage facilities is to be set up for the bunkering of vessels in main European harbors, so that LNG can help to meet the increasingly strict regulations.

January 2013

Intensification of the Staack Pooltankstellen Business

To further strengthen Staack Pooltankstellen GmbH & Co. KG’s position in the market, it agrees another individual form of participation within Petronord Group with TM Handel und Tanklogistik Gmbh & Co. KG. The business operations of the TM Handel und Tanklogistik GmbH & Co. KG are incorporated in Staack Pooltankstellen on January 1, 2013. In return, Thies Mosner receives a share in Staack Pooltankstellen. TM Handel und Tanklogistik is a mineral oil company operating in Schleswig-Holstein, which, as a partner of tankpool24 is regionally active in the pool stations business with 14 sites.

October 2013

OIL! Acquires 20 Service Stations in the Rhine-Ruhr Region from Eller-Montan

OIL! Tankstellen has grown steadily in recent years. While it usually expanded the network one station at a time, this time a whole package is added: OIL! took over 20 service stations from Eller-Montan some weeks ago. This acquisition increases the number of stations in the OIL! network in Germany by 10%, to 222. With the 24 service stations in Austria and another 21 in Switzerland, the OIL! network in the German-speaking countries (D-A-CH) now encompasses a total of 267 stations.

November 2013

Petronord Expands Competence and Offer in the Heating Market with EAG

Petronord launches a new line of business on November 1, 2013. With the establishment of EAG Energie Abrechnungs- und Service GmbH in Hiddenhausen, the Group now has its own energy supplier for natural gas and electricity for the first time. Combined with the services of the regional sites active in the heating market, the two products now become part of the portfolio for the whole of Germany.

January 2014

Number of Petronord Group Lubricants Sites Continue to Rise: John Schmierstoffe Added

Effective January 1, 2014, Petronord expands its activities to include the business operations of John Schmierstoffe GmbH, Altlandsberg (Brandenburg). The company has been active in selling lubricants since 1990 and is one of the leading lubricant traders in the Berlin-Brandenburg region. John Schmierstoffe also supplies lubricants to customers in the region along the Polish border to Berlin as well as in other federal states. Its range of brand-name products includes about 800 lubricants for a wide range of applications.

January 2014

Another Family-Run Company Joins the Strong Petronord Network: ZIEGLMEIER Energie

A historic company with a long tradition becomes part of the Petronord Group with the addition of ZIEGLMEIER Energie GmbH. Based in Schrobenhausen, the company is awell-known energy trader in the region, and well established in the distribution of heating oil, wood pellets, natural gas as well as fuels and lubricants. The merger does not include the service-station business of ZIEGLMEIER GmbH & Co. KG, which will continue to be run by Mr. Nico Zieglmeier.

January 2015

Mabanaft Announces New Organizational Structure

Effective January 2015, Mabanaft restructures its activities into three separate business units: “Mabanaft Trading,” “Mabanaft Retail,” and “Mabanaft Bunkering.” The reorganization aims to reflect the different businesses of Mabanaft, spread over more than 100 companies and five continents, and to better position the group for further growth. With this in mind, Mabanaft is divided into three business units, each with their own director.

Mabanaft Trading covers all regional trading and wholesale activities, irrespective of the products traded. Mabanaft Retail is responsible for the end-consumer business and the service stations. Mabanaft Bunkering covers all bunkering activities.

February 2015

Expansion of the Bunker Business along the Rhine – Acquisition of Vasco Bunker GmbH

NWB Nord- und Westdeutsche Bunker GmbH, a subsidiary of the Bomin group, takes over all shares in Vasco Bunker GmbH, Düsseldorf, with effect from February 1, 2015. Vasco Bunker, which is to continue doing business under this name, supplies shipping customers along the Rhine in the greater Dusseldorf region with diesel fuel and lubricants, using the bunker boat “Vasco II.”

This acquisition further expands NWB’s nationwide network with its focus on northern and western Germany. From now on, clients in the greater Cologne/Dusseldorf area have two places to get their bunker: “Köln Bunker 1” in Cologne and the newly acquired bunker boat “Vasco II.”

May 2015

Mabanaft Acquires A/S Haahr Benzin Service Station Network, Denmark

OIL! Tankstellen GmbH & Co. KG, a company in the Mabanaft trading group, takes over the A/S Haahr Benzin network of unmanned service stations in Denmark. With the commencement of business operations in May 28, 2015, Haahr operates gasoline service stations at currently 43 locations across Denmark, ensuring a comprehensive supply network.

The acquisition of the network provides Mabanaft with a strategic extension of its retail activities and supports its general European growth strategy. The Mabanaft service station network currently comprises OIL! service stations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, stations operated as a franchise system in Hungary, automatic filling stations branded “tankpool24,” and the Tirex Petrol stations in Moldova. With the addition of the new sites in Denmark, Mabanaft’s European service station network comprises more than 660 stations.

The Danish network continues to be operated under the well-known brand Haahr Benzin.

May 2016

Founding of Kiessling Energie Strengthens Petronord’s Activities in Bavaria

Petronord founds Kiessling Energie GmbH & Co. KG on May 1, 2016. The new company incorporates the long-standing oil trading activities of the family Riediger. They cover both sales of heating oil and fuels to private and commercial end-consumers, a business that has been successfully operated from Lauterhofen since 1918, as well as the independent service station and the distribution of a wide range of lubricant products to users in industry, retail and the crafts trade as well as to municipal facilities.

July 2016

Bomin Launches Physical Operation in Mauritius

The Bomin Group launches a physical bunker operation in Port Louis, Mauritius, with effect from July 12, 2016. Port Louis is the only official port of entry and exit for sea vessels in Mauritius. The expansion significantly strengthens Bomin’s position in a growing and important region, and continues the company’s ambitious plans for growth throughout 2016.

Bomin (Mauritius) Ltd. uses the modern, 2008-build, double-hulled bunker barge “MT Hakkasan” to provide customers with quality products, including IFO 180cst, as well as MGO. All deliveries will be provided under a Bomin specific Bunker Delivery Note (BDN). In doing this, Bomin takes full control of the end-to-end supply process from order through to delivery, providing the highest levels of service, efficiency, and reliability for customers, as well as ensuring the quality and quantity of products.

January 2017

Bomin Strengthens Regional Hub Structure

The marine fuel supply chain is experiencing a period of significant transition and change, with new regulations and added complexity. It is therefore critical that Bomin’s global infrastructure and resources are invested in the right areas to ensure the company can meet its customers’ requirements. As part of this process, Bomin has increased its physical infrastructure in key areas including Singapore and Europe, in line with its value driven physical trader model. 

Furthermore, in December 2016, the Bomin Group announced the establishment of four regional hubs to support its worldwide operations, in line with its strategy. The regional hubs are located in Hamburg, Houston, Dubai and Singapore. They support the company’s offices and operations across Europe, the Americas, Middle East & Africa and Asia-Pacific. The hubs ensure global alignment, highest service quality and cost-effective fuel-supply solutions in line with customer needs. 

As part of this strategy, the offices in Rio de Janeiro, Athens, London, Tallinn and Madrid were closed, and the physical operations in Estonia and Spain suspended. Customers previously handled by these locations are now serviced from the four regional hubs.

February 2017

Specialists in the Lubricants Business: Keck Schmierstoffservice GmbH & Co. KG

Effective February 1, 2017, the Petronord Group companies Keck Energieservice and Mühlenbruch Stinnes Schmierstoffservice participate in a new lubrication company: Keck Schmierstoffservice GmbH & Co. KG. The company based in Brakel now runs Keck Energieservice’s entire lubrication business. The rationale behind this step is the market concentration and to leverage synergies between the two companies. For example, all storage and logistics for Mabanol products will be handled in and from Brakel.

July 2017

Petronord and Hansen & Rosenthal Establish Joint Venture to Market Bitumen and Bitumen Components

The newly founded company NordBit GmbH & Co. KG, jointly and equally held by the Petronord company Mabanol Bitumen GmbH & Co. KG and H&R Refining GmbH, begins its targeted marketing of bitumen and bitumen components as of July 1, 2017. NordBit procures and markets bitumen products from H&R's production sites in Hamburg and Salzbergen, Germany, among other sources. Its customers include national and international customers as well as end-consumers from various sectors. The focus is on industrial applications, road construction, roof waterproofing, landfill construction, and dike construction.

July 2017

Petronord Expands Its Business Activities Towards Sweden

Petronord acquires a stake in the oil company PS Olje AB with effect from July 1, 2017, marking the start of its activities in Sweden. The regionally established Swedish company PS Olje does business in three areas: heating oil and diesel trading, the lubricant business and the operation of unmanned service stations. Its office in Halmstad is located between Malmö and Gothenburg in southern Sweden.

The simultaneous acquisition of Energi & värme i Blekinge by PS Olje is in line with Petronord’s objective of further expanding the trading business in Sweden. As a new branch office of PS Olje, it offers promising opportunities for expanding the service station business.

September 2017

Petronord Expands the Lubricants Business in Sweden

The Petronord Group continues its growth in Sweden with the acquisition of a stake in the established lubricants supplier Swelube AB, effective September 1, 2017. Swelube's primary business is the supply of automotive lubricants to B2B customers. The company is located in Angered; its distribution area extends across all of Scandinavia, with a focus on Sweden.

The Swelube acquisition brings the number of companies in the Petronord Group to 30.

August 2018

Mabanaft Establishes Mabanaft Energy Trading Inc. in Houston, USA

Mabanaft Energy Trading Inc. (METI), based in Houston, Texas, is established to promote the procurement, shipping, physical supply and trading of middle distillates and other refined products for the Mabanaft Group in North and Latin America.

October 2018

Strengthening of the Petronord Group in Sweden - Stockholms Diesel & Oljehandel

By acquiring a stake in Stockholms Diesel & Oljehandel AB with effect from October 1, 2018, the Petronord Group continues to grow and strengthens its presence in Sweden. Stockholms Diesel & Oljehandel AB primarily sells diesel and heating oil to business customers and private consumers in the Stockholm area. In addition, one of its two subsidiaries is active in the lubricants business and offers customers a wide range of high-quality products.

November 2018

Bomin Exits the Bunker Markets in Singapore and Antwerp

In September, Bomin announced that it was withdrawing from the bunker markets in Singapore and Antwerp, and that it would in future operate its business from two offices only: Houston and Hamburg. The two offices will serve all Bomin customers in all German ports, the US Gulf Coast, Panama, Norfolk, and Ecuador.

The Bomin group is in a transformation and restructuring process, and intense competition and low margins characterize the situation in all major ports. In November, Bomin then signs an agreement to sell its Belgium operations to certain individuals of the Somers family, controlling the tanker shipping company Somtrans. As from January 2019 the company will be rebranded, and the employees of Bomin Belgium will be able to continue the business.

February 2019

Optimal Complement to the End-Consumer Business in North Rhine-Westphalia: Vöge Mineralölhandel

The Petronord Group continues its growth in western Germany with the acquisition of the company Heinz Vöge Mineralölhandel e.K. Vöge operates in a region that borders directly on the sales territories of other Petronord companies: Schmidt Energiehandel in the north (Ascheberg-Herbern), Lipps Energie in the south (Hagen-Hohenlimburg near Dortmund) and Uhlenbruck Energie in the southwest (Mülheim an der Ruhr). The acquisition of Vöge strengthens Petronord's presence in the North Rhine-Westphalia region and optimally complements Schmidt Energiehandel's business. With the takeover, Vöge is continued as a branch of Schmidt Energiehandel.

Vöge Mineralölhandel was founded in 1962 in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, and operates a classic end-consumer business with heating oil, diesel and lubricants. An automatic filling station with diesel and AdBlue completes the portfolio.

August 2019

Mabanaft Acquires Junction 29 Truckstop

Mabanaft Limited acquires Junction 29, one of the top-tier, independent truckstops in the UK, located in the Midlands, a short distance from the M1. The deal completed on August 5, 2019, and marks Mabanaft’s strategic commitment to developing a network of truckstops across the country, offering drivers and companies good-value, high-quality truckstops outside of those owned by the oil companies and large group networks. Junction 29 is strategically important to the commercial fuel network, supporting Keyfuels, UK Fuels and Morgan Fuels’ customers.

January 2020

Mabanaft Invests in World-Scale Ammonia Production Facility

Mabanaft will become ammonia offtaker and operating partner in Gulf Coast Ammonia LLC (GCA), a special purpose entity owned and controlled jointly by an affiliate of Starwood Energy Group Global LLC and Mabanaft. On December 30, 2019, GCA issued formal notice to proceed with turnkey construction of a highly-efficient, state-of-the-art ammonia production plant with nameplate capacity of approximately 1.3 million metric tons per year to be built at a brownfield site in Texas City, USA. The facilities are expected to enter commercial levels of production in the first half of 2023. Air Products will serve as exclusive supplier of all hydrogen and nitrogen feedstock requirements. 

GCA has concluded long-term offtake agreements for the entire nameplate production capacity, of which approximately 500,000 metric tons ammonia per year will be marketed by Mabanaft. The project offers advantageous logistics with 70,000 metric tons of on-site storage and a dedicated, deep-water jetty capable of loading domestic barges as well as the largest sea going ammonia carriers to reach global ammonia markets. The marine facilities will be owned and operated by Oiltanking, a sister company of Mabanaft.

February 2020

Mabanaft Acquires Avon Lodge Truckstop

Mabanaft Limited acquires Avon Lodge, one of the leading independent truckstops in the UK. Following the acquisition of Junction 29 in August 2019, this is the second truckstop Mabanaft Limited has taken over. The acquisition is in line with the trading company's objective of establishing a nationwide network of independent truckstops. Avon Lodge is of strategic importance as it is located on the outskirts of Bristol close to the M5 motorway, the main traffic artery in England's southwest.

June 2020

With NB Oljor, Petronord Further Expands Its Presence in Sweden

Petronord intensifies its business activities in Sweden and acquires shares in NB Oljor with effect from June 1, 2020. This is Petronord's fourth stake in a Swedish company. NB Oljor is a regionally established trading company based in Västerås, southern Sweden. NB Oljor's business activities focus on the sale of heating oil, diesel fuel and lubricants to private and commercial customers. In addition, its product portfolio currently includes five automated filling stations.

July 2020

New Petronord Subsidiary in Sweden: Fundins Olja

The Petronord Group continues its growth in Sweden. With effect from July 1, 2020, it acquires shares in Fundins Olja AB as a strategically good addition to the existing network. This is Petronord's fifth acquisition in Sweden. Fundins is based in Tranås, in the province of Jönköpings län, and also has locations in Jönköping, Västervik and Linköping. In addition to the sale of heating oil, diesel fuel and lubricants to private consumers and commercial customers, the company's portfolio also includes 17 automated filling stations.