Shell Oil company
Early Days (1833-1907): Marcus Samuel’s father started an antique shop importing shells; his
sons, Marcus Jr. and Samuel, began selling kerosene to Asia, using the shell logo for their “Shell”
Transport & Trading Company (1897).
FFoorrmmaattiioonn & Growth (1907-1920s): The merger with the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company in 1907
created the massive Royal Dutch Shell Group, enabling global competition and rapid expansion,
including into the U.S. in 1912.
Innovation & War Effort (1910s-1940s): Shell pioneered oil transport with tankers, discovered oil
in Malaysia (1910), supplied fuel for early flights (Alcock & Brown, 1919),
and provided vital aviation fuel and synthetic rubber components during
WWII.
PPoosstt–WWaarr EExxppaannssiioonn ((11994466–11998800ss)): New exploration, refinery construction,
offshore drilling (like Malaysia’s West Lutong field in 1968), and the first
commercial shipment of LNG (1964) marked continued growth.
Modern Era: The company evolved from Royal Dutch Shell into a single
entity (Shell plc) and continues as a major global energy player, known
for innovation, its iconic shell logo (Pecten), and presence in retail, chem-
icals, and new energy.
Milestones in Malaysia:
1891: Operations begin in Malaysia.
1910: Discovers Malaysia’s first oil well (“The Grand Old Lady”) in Miri, Sarawak.
1914: Builds Malaysia’s first refinery and lays innovative submarine pipelines.
1921: Installs the first petrol pump in Kuala Lumpur.
1960s: Moves into offshore exploration, discovering Malaysia’s first offshore field (Baram) in 1963.