Kuwait Petroleum International, often referred to by its trademark Q8

Q8

Q8 is the Kuwait Petroleum CorporationQ8 may also refer to:* Q8 * Quad 8, the Quadraphonic version of Stereo 8* Q , 4th series of Spike Milligan's TV comedy sketch show...

, refines and markets fuel, lubricants and other petroleum derivatives in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. It is the international subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation is Kuwait's national oil company, headquartered in Kuwait City. It was founded on January 27, 1980 as an umbrella company, integrating KOC, KNPC, KOTC and PIC and effectively placing them under government control....

. It supplies 4,000 retail service 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 - through more than 700 strategically located sites throughout Europe. Q8 also has a significant aviation business marketing jet fuel

Jet fuel

Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...

 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 Oil wells in Kuwait
• 1980 Foundation Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
  Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
  Kuwait Petroleum Corporation is Kuwait's national oil company, headquartered in Kuwait City. It was founded on January 27, 1980 as an umbrella company, integrating KOC, KNPC, KOTC and PIC and effectively placing them under government control....
  
  
• 1983 Foundation Kuwait Petroleum International Limited - Acquisition Gulf Oil
  Gulf Oil
  Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
  
   in the Benelux, Sweden and Denmark
• 1984 Acquisition Gulf Oil
  Gulf Oil
  Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
  
   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
  BP
  BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
  
   in Denmark
• 1987 Acquisition of the Soviet-controlled Nafta in Britain
• 1990 Acquisition of Mobil
  Mobil
  Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
  
   Oil in Italy
• 1997 Joint Venture with Agip
  Agip
  Agip is an Italian automotive gasoline and diesel retailer established in 1926. It is a subsidiary of the multinational petroleum company Eni.In 2003, Eni S.p.A...
  
   - Milazzo refinery in Sicily
• 1998 Joint Venture OK Petroleum and KPI in Sweden establishing the OKQ8 brand
• 1998 Acquisition of BP
  BP
  BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
  
   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
  Petronas
  PETRONAS, short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad, is a Malaysian oil and gas company that was founded on August 17, 1974. Wholly owned by the Government of Malaysia, the corporation is vested with the entire oil and gas resources in Malaysia and is entrusted with the responsibility of developing and...
  
  
• 2006 Sale of German operation (which had 37 service stations under the Markant brand) to Westfalen

Origin of brand

When it was launched in 1986, the Q8 brand was an instant success. Its strength and originality made it stand out from competing brands, earning a rapid recognition and awareness in the market places. Today almost 20 years after conception it is still being used as an example of good logo design.

The graceful sails of a dhow

Dhow

Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...

, a typical Arab sailboat, recall a rich history that begins somewhere in antiquity with pearl divers. They also evoke the history of what once was a proud seafaring nation. The colours yellow, red and blue symbolise the desert, sun and sea receptively.

Businesses

• Retail Service Stations
• Private & Business Fuel
• Lubricants
• Road Transport Diesel
• Aviation