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Our Heritage

Idemitsu Lubricants is now the eighth largest lubricant manufacturer globally, with over a century of unsurpassed quality, innovation, and superior product development.

Timeline

Early Beginnings - 1940:

  • 1911

    Idemitsu Shokai founded in Moji

  • 1914

    Sales channel opened up overseas (former Manchuria)

  • 1940

    Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. incorporated

  • 1945

    Overseas branches closed, repatriation begins

Post-War Recovery - 1945:

  • 1947

    Idemitsu returns to the oil business as 29 of its outlets across Japan are named retailers for the Oil Distribution Public Corporation

  • 1949

    Idemitsu named a primary oil distributor

  • 1951

    NISSHO MARU (SECOND GENERATION) COMMISSIONED THE “RETURN TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CUSTOMERS FIRST” TO BE ISSUED

  • 1952

    Import of high-octane gasoline from the United States for sale under the Apollo Gasoline brand begins

  • 1953

    Oil imported from Iran (Nissho Maru Incident)

  • 1954

    Iran Consortium established

  • 1955

    USA office opened in New York

  • 1957

    Idemitsu enters the oil refining business

    Tokuyama Refinery completed

Rapid Economic Growth - 1959:

  • 1959

    THE FIRST IMPORT OF CRUDE OIL FROM THE SOVIET UNION

  • 1962

    Idemitsu Tanker Co., Ltd. established Nissho Maru (third generation), the world’s first ultra-large 140,000-ton supertanker

  • 1963

    CHIBA REFINERY COMPLETED. IDEMITSU WITHDRAWS FROM THE PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN (LATER TO REJOIN IN OCTOBER 1966)

  • 1964

    IDEMITSU PETROCHEMICAL CO., LTD. ESTABLISHED. TOKUYAMA PLANT COMPLETED

  • 1966

    Central Training Center opens Idemitsu Museum of Arts opens.

    Idemitsu Maru, the world’s first 200,000-ton class oil tanker (210,000 tons), commissioned

  • 1967

    World’s first heavy oil direct-desulfurization equipment completed at the Chiba Refinery

  • 1968

    Lubricants Research Laboratory opens

Petroleum-Industry Turbulence - 1970:

  • 1970

    LUBRICANTS REFINING EQUIPMENT COMPLETED AT THE CHIBA REFINERY. CENTRAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES OPEN. HYOGO REFINERY COMPLETED

  • 1971

    Idemitsu Japan Sea Oil Development Co., Ltd. established (renamed Idemitsu Oil Development Co., Ltd. in 1976)

  • 1973

    Hokkaido Refinery completed

    First import of crude oil from China (Daqing)
    Middle East Office established in Beirut
    Tehran Office reopened

  • 1975

    UNLEADED RED APOLLO GASOLINE INTRODUCED. IDEMITSU PETROCHEMICAL CO., LTD. CHIBA PLANT COMPLETED. AICHI REFINERY COMPLETED. ABU DHABI OFFICE (NOW MIDDLE EAST OFFICE) ESTABLISHED

  • 1976

    Production begins at Agaoki Oil and Gas Field, Japan’s first undersea oil field

  • 1977

    IIA established, Singapore Office opened

Deregulation - 1980:

  • 1983

    Idemitsu unleaded Gold Apollo gasoline introduced. Idemitsu Engineering Co., Ltd. established

  • 1984

    Japan’s first heavy gas oil hydrogenated cracking unit completed at Hokkaido Refinery

  • 1986

    Idemitsu Credit Co., Ltd. established

    Alkylation unit completed at Aichi Refinery. Idemitsu New Gold Apollo Gasoline introduced

  • 1987

    IIE ESTABLISHED JAPAN’S FIRST HEAVY OIL FLUID. CATALYTIC CRACKING UNIT COMPLETED AT AICHI REFINERY. IDEMITSU 100 GASOLINE INTRODUCED

    Alkylation unit completed at Aichi Refinery. Idemitsu New Gold Apollo Gasoline introduced

  • 1989

    IDEMITSU NAGAHORI BUILDING, THE FIRST HIGH-RISE BUILDING BUILT ATOP A SERVICE STATION, COMPLETED. METHOD OF DECIDING PETROLEUM PRODUCT PRICES ON A MONTHLY BASIS BEGINS. IDEMITSU OIL & GAS CO., LTD. ESTABLISHED

    Alkylation unit completed at Aichi Refinery. Idemitsu New Gold Apollo Gasoline introduced

Intense Competition - 1990:

  • 1990

    Idemitsu Music Award established

  • 1991

    Service stations opened in Portugal (1991 – 1999) Beijing Office

  • 1992

    Service stations opened in Puerto Rico (1992 – 2001)

    Lubricants production plant completed in the U.S.
    Production begins at the Snorre Field in the Norwegian North Sea

  • 1992

    Idemitsu Zearth and Super Zearth introduced

  • 1994

    Dhahran Office established Production begins at Ensham Coal Mine in Australia

    Heavy oil cracking unit completed at Hokkaido Refinery

  • 1995

    Japan’s first double-hull VLCC, Super Zearth, built

  • 1996

    Petroleum products shift to a new pricing structure

    Zearth earns Eco Mark product certification
    Idemitsu Oita Geothermal Co., Ltd. begins supply of steam All Idemitsu refineries and plants earn ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certification
    Apollo-branded service station opens in Dalian, China

  • 1997

    Idemitsu begins bulk supply of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas

    Zearth earns Eco Mark product certification
    Idemitsu Oita Geothermal Co., Ltd. begins supply of steam All Idemitsu refineries and plants earn ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certification
    Apollo-branded service station opens in Dalian, China

  • 1998

    All Idemitsu refineries and plants earn ISO 14001 certification

    New Business Development Office established

Demand/Supply Structural Changes - 2000:

  • 2000

    Preferred shares issued in capital increase to 38.8 billion yen

    Successful commercialization of CVT traction oil
    Fuel-cell project established

  • 2001

    Head office earns ISO 14001 certification

    Idemitsu Gas and Life Co., Ltd. established

  • 2002

    Electronic Materials Office established

    Energy Solution Business Office established

  • 2003

    Hyogo Refinery closed Hokkaido Refinery

    crude-oil and naphtha tanks damaged by fire resulting from earthquake off the coast of Tokachi.
    Idemitsu Credit and Credit Saison merge through comprehensive partnership (ownership: 50%).
    Businesses of Munakata Kaiun and Asahi Tanker merged.
    Okinawa Sekiyu Seisei Co., Ltd. closed

  • 2004

    Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. and Idemitsu Petrochemical announce merger of polyolefin businesses

    Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. merges with Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd.

  • 2005

    Idemitsu Aviation Co., Ltd. established

    Prime Polymer Co., Ltd. established
    Capital increase through third-party allocation of shares and paid-in retirement of preferred shares implemented

  • 2006

    Businesses of Idemitsu Gas and Life Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Liquified Gas Co. merged

    Idemitsu Unitech Co., Ltd. absorbs Idemitsu Plastics Co., Ltd.
    Stock listed on First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange

  • 2008

    Idemitsu Kosan President Akihiko Tembo named President of the Petroleum Association of Japan

    Fuel-oil pricing method changed (to market-linked pricing)

  • 2009

    Okinawa Idemitsu Co., Ltd. established

    Akihiko Tembo named Chairman, Kazuhisa Nakano named President

  • 2010

    Chiba Chemicals Manufacturing LLP established to achieve joint operation of ethylene complex

  • 2011

    Idemitsu marked the 100th anniversary of its founding

    Announcement of decision to stop crude oil processing function of Tokuyama Refinery until 2014

  • 2012

    Yellow Hat Ltd. and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. formed capital and business alliance.

    Issuance of Unsecured Straight Bonds. (Total amount of issue : \20 billion)
    Conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Cambodia on Bioethanol production.

  • 2013

    ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINAL INVESTMENT DECISION ON NGHI SON REFINERY/PETROCHEMICAL COMPLEX

    Announcement of Fourth Consolidated Medium-Term Management Plan (FY2013-2015).
    Kazuhisa Nakano named Chairman, Takashi Tsukioka named President

  • 2014

    Tokuyama REFINERY closed. Announcement of LPG Export from Ferndale Washington LPG Terminal

  • 2015

    The discussion of the Business Integration with Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. started

  • 2016

    Acquisition of shares of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. from Royal Dutch Shell completed

  • 2017

    “BRIGHTER ENERGY ALLIANCE” WITH SHOWA SHELL SEKIYU K.K. STARTED WITH THE INTENTION TO ACCELERATE THE INTEGRATION

  • 2018

    SHARE EXCHANGE AGREEMENT BETWEEN IDEMITSU KOSAN CO., LTD AND SHOWA SHELL SEKIYU K.K. WAS APPROVED AT AN EXTRAORDINARY SHAREHOLDER MEETING

  • 2019

    THE BUSINESS INTEGRATION WITH SHOWA SHELL SEKIYU K.K. WAS IMPLEMENTED.

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