A century in the making
Gulf has a rich history of excellence spanning over a century. From our founding in 1901 to our first branded petrol station in 1913, all the way to our latest partnerships and innovations, our success has come from our unfailing passion, performance and commitment to everything we do. It’s at the heart of our relationships with our customers and partners.
History of Gulf
1901
Discovery
Founded in Texas, selling gasoline in containers
1910
Deep dive
Gulf launches the world’s first-ever water drilling operation
1913
Fill it up
Gulf introduces the first drive-through fuel station
1920
Hello Gulf!
Gulf’s orange disc logo makes its first appearance
1926
In business
Gulf purchases the Barco oil concession
1936
Bye bye Barco
Gulf sells the Barco oil concession to Texaco
1943
Hola Venezuela
Gulf establishes a presence in the oil fields of Venezuela
1967
Birth of iconic cool
Gulf debuts the light blue and orange racing colours
1970
New heights
Gulf reaches peak production, processing 1.3m barrels daily
1971
The Man in Le Mans
Gulf features prominently in Steve McQueen’s “Le Mans” film
1975
Victory
Gulf branded Mirage GR8-Ford Cosworth wins 24 Hours of Le Mans
1984
Hinduja Group
Gulf is acquired by the Hinduja Group
1993
Hello Middle East
Gulf Oil Middle East blending plant begins production in Jebel Ali, UAE
1995
Hello India
Gulf Oil Lubricants India blending plant begins production in Silvassa
1998
Hello Philippines
Gulf Oil Philippines blending plant begins production in Manila
1998
Hello Argentina
Gulf Oil Argentina blending plant begins production in Buenos Aires
2004
Trademarked
Gulf becomes the first oil company in history to trademark its racing colours
2006
Hello China
Gulf Oil China blending plant begins production in Yantai
2008
Water world
Gulf Oil Marine is established, servicing more than 400 ports worldwide
2009
Sky high
Gulf Aviation UK is established
2010
Record breaker
Gulf SUPERFLEET LE Max becomes India’s first engine oil with a drain interval of 40,000 km
2011
Cricket’s finest
Gulf Oil becomes the associate sponsor of the iconic IPL team, Chennai Super Kings
2012
Welcome to Houghton
Gulf acquires the world’s largest metalworking fluids manufacturer, US-based Houghton International
2014
Time to invest
Gulf is listed on BSE, India's premier stock exchange
2015
Growth continues
Gulf Oil Supply Company is formed and begins operating in Malta
2015
Bigger is better
Gulf Oil Marine sells 50 million litres annually
2016
Award-winning
Gulf wins the Downstream Company of the Year award
2016
A championship team
Gulf partners with the legendary football club Manchester United
2017
Exploring new horizons
Gulf Gas and Power launch in the Netherlands
2017
Massive achievement
Gulf Oil Marine sells 100 million litres per annum and global port coverage crosses 1,000
2017
Hello Singapore
Gulf Oil South East Asia begins operating in Singapore
2017
Need for speed
Gulf finishes 5th in the GTE AM class of the 84th 24hrs of Le Mans
2018
Right on time
Gulf enters a partnership with Tag Heuer
2020
McLaren joins the team
Gulf hits the road as a strategic partner of McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive
2021
#SingaporeStrong
Gulf expands its Singapore operations by acquiring a lubricant blending plant, a storage tank farm and a terminal facility
2021
MAN Energy Solutions Approved!
Gulf Oil Marine is the first lubricant company to obtain an NOL from MAN for its CAT II 40BN Cylinder Oil: GulfSea Cylcare XP 5040X