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Shell History in Pakistan
Shell has an over 100 years presence in the subcontinent.
The Shell brand name enjoys a 100-year history in this part of the world, dating back to 1899 when Asiatic Petroleum, the far eastern marketing arm of two companies: Shell Transport Company and Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, began importing kerosene oil from Azerbaijan into the subcontinent. Even today, the legacy of the past is visible in a storage tank carrying the date - 1898.
The documented history of Royal Dutch Shell plc in Indo_Pakistan subcontinent dates back to 1903 when partnership was struck between The Shell Transport & Trading Company and the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company to supply petroleum to Asia.
In 1928, to enhance their distribution capabilities, the marketing interest of Royal Dutch Shell plc and the Burmah Oil Company Limited in India were merged and Burmah Shell Oil Storage & Distribution company of India was born. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the name was changed to the Burmah Shell Oil Distribution Company of Pakistan. In 1970, when 51% of the shareholding was transferred to Pakistani investors, the name of changed to Pakistan Burmah Shell (PBS) Limited.
The Shell and the Burmah Groups, retained the remaining 49% in equal proportions. In February of 1993, as economic liberalisation began to take root and the Burmah divested from PBS, Shell Petroleum stepped into raise its stake to 51%. The years 2001-2 have seen the Shell Petroleum Company successively increasing its share, with the Group now having a 76% stake in Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL)- an expression of confidence.