Kuwait Petroleum International
| شركة بترول الكويت العالمية | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters |
Kuwait  |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Kuwait Petroleum Corporation |
| Website | http://www.Q8.com |
Kuwait Petroleum International, often referred to by its trademark Q8 (pronounced Que-Eight, or Kuwait), refines and markets fuel, lubricants and other petroleum products in Europe. It is the international subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.[1] It supplies 4,000 retail filling stations, as well as direct sales operations delivering fuel and heating oil to domestic and industrial users. Q8 also operates an International Diesel Service (IDS) - a secure fuel card service supported by automated technology for international road transportation companies - in more than 700 located sites throughout Europe. Q8 also has a significant aviation business marketing jet fuel at more than 40 airports worldwide and a lubricants business with five lubricants blending plants, direct sales and marketing activities across Europe and export sales to over 75 countries worldwide.
History
- 1938 Discovery of oil in Kuwait
- 1975 Nationalisation of oil wells in Kuwait
- 1980 Foundation of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
- 1983 Foundation of Kuwait Petroleum International Limited - Acquisition Gulf Oil in the Benelux, Sweden and Denmark
- 1984 Acquisition of Gulf Oil in Italy
- 1986 Acquisition of Hays Petroleum Services (which had previously been owned by the Kuwait Investment Office, and used the Pace Petroleum brand) and Ultramar in the UK - Introduction of the Q8 brand
- 1987 Acquisition of BP in Denmark
- 1987 Acquisition of the Soviet-controlled Nafta in Britain
- 1990 Acquisition of Mobil Oil in Italy
- 1997 Joint Venture with Agip - Milazzo refinery in Sicily
- 1998 Joint Venture OK Petroleum and KPI in Sweden, establishing the OKQ8 brand
- 1998 Acquisition of BP retail Belgium
- 1999 Acquisition of Aral Belgium
- 2004 Acquisition of Tango unmanned sites from Petroplus in the Netherlands (62 sites), Belgium (4 sites) and Spain(1 site); these are typically now branded "Q8 Easy"
- 2004 Sale of UK operations to a consortium operating under the name Pace Petroleum
- 2005 Sale of Thai operations to the Malaysian company Petronas
- 2006 Sale of German operation (which had 37 service stations under the Markant brand) to Westfalen
The company's logo represents a dhow, a traditional Arab sailboat. The colours yellow, red and blue symbolise the desert, sun and sea respectively.
References
- ↑ "Kuwait Japan joint oil refinery project in Vietnam". SteelGuru. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-15.