Shell Transport and Trading Co
The Samuel Brothers initially called their company The Tank Syndicate but this was renamed in 1897.
1897 Incorporated as a Limited Company to work the Mineral Oil producing, Refining, Transporting, and Distributing properties formerly belonging to M. Samuel and Co. and their associates.
By the turn of the century, Marcus Samuel had become the model of an Edwardian plutocrat with a grand house in London and a country mansion, which had been bought lock, stock and barrel with furniture, pictures and parkland from Lord Romney. He kept horses and carriage and was active in public life in the City of London. He was knighted in 1898, became Lord Mayor of London and was a leading figure in the London business community. But Marcus Samuel’s dependence on Russian producers left him vulnerable and he decided to seek other sources of oil.
He turned to the Far East and his first venture into Borneo brought him up against Royal Dutch Petroleum, one of the region’s biggest competitors. The two companies joined forces to protect themselves against the might of Standard Oil, forming a sales organisation in 1903, the Asiatic Petroleum Co. The discovery of oil in Texas offset a series of troubles which had affected both companies.
In 1904, the scallop shell or pecten replaced Shell Transport’s first marketing logo, a mussel shell. In various forms it has remained in use ever since, becoming one of the best known corporate symbols in the world.
1907 The full merger of Shell Transport and Royal Dutch Petroleum Company into the Royal Dutch Shell Group. There were two separate holding companies with Royal Dutch taking 60% of earnings and Shell Transport taking 40%. The business was run by a variety of operating companies. The merger transformed the fortunes of both companies. Under the management of Henry Deterding they turned from struggling entities to successful enterprises within twelve months.
1907 Agreement between Shell Transport and Trading Co and British Petroleum that the latter would distribute Shell petrol in the UK using Shell storage tanks, etc as agents of Shell[1].
1908 Shell Transport and Trading had placed all of its assets in Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co and Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij, which also held all of the assets of Royal Dutch Shell[2]
The Shell Group rapidly expanded across the world. Marketing companies were formed throughout Europe and in many parts of Asia. Exploration and production began in Russia, Romania, Venezuela, Mexico and the United States.