Caltex
Encyclopedia
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
brand name of Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
used in more than 60 countries in the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
region, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
History
Caltex began in 1936 as the California Texas Oil Company, a joint venture between the Texas Company (later named TexacoTexaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
) and Standard Oil of California (later named Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
) to market oil from newly gained concessions in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. It was renamed Caltex Petroleum Corporation in 1968. The two parent companies merged in 2001 to form ChevronTexaco (renamed Chevron in 2005) and Caltex remains one of its major international brand names.
Australia
Caltex Australia is 50% owned by Chevron, and 50% by Australian shareholders.Julian Segal has been the Chief Executive Officer CEO of Caltex Australia since July 2009.
Caltex took over the Australian companies Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece Company
thumb|Golden Fleece Logo - pre 1960sGolden Fleece was a brand of petroleum products and service stations operated by H.C.Sleigh and Company. A partnership was founded in Melbourne, Australia in 1893 by Harold Crofton Sleigh and John McIlwraith...
in 1981 and Ampol
Ampol
Ampol, the Australian Motorists Petrol Company, was incorporated by Sir William Gaston Walkley in 1936 in New South Wales. This was in response to Australians' concerns about perceived inequitable petrol pricing, and allegations of transfer pricing by foreign oil companies to limit their tax...
in 1995.
On 27 May 2009 Caltex announced a proposal to acquire 302 Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
and Mobil Quix service stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, subject to approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent authority of the Australia government. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Trade Practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance Authority to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974...
. The ACCC subsequently opposed the takeover on the grounds that the acquisition could result in diminished competition. Caltex subsequently abandoned the acquisition, with Mobil entering into an agreement to sell the same sites to 7-Eleven Australia.
Fuels
Petrol- Regular Unleaded (91 octane unleaded petrol)
- Bio E10 Unleaded (unleaded petrol with up to 10% ethanol)
- Bio E-Flex (unleaded petrol with up to 85% ethanol)
- Vortex 95 (95 octane premium unleaded petrol)
- Vortex 98 (98 octane premium unleaded petrol)
Most sites stock all of these products, however Bio E10 Unleaded is the least common and Regular Unleaded the most common. Bio E-Flex is stocked in approximately 30 sites on the eastern seaboard.
Diesel
- Diesel
- New Generation Diesel (up to 3% biodiesel)
- Vortex Diesel (premium diesel)
Each site only sells one of these 3 products.
Autogas
Autogas is available at selected sites.
Convenience stores
Caltex branded sites can have any of the following types of convenience stores.Star Mart: A large store containing a bakery, coffee and hot food as well as convenience items and an ATM. Toilets are usually located inside. Usually open 24 hours.
Star Shop: A smaller store with just convenience items and packaged foods and limited operating hours.
Woolworths: Sites that accept the 4 cpl discount offer from Woolworths. Shops are branded as Woolworths. Most are the same as a Star Mart, but some are the size of a Star Shop.
Woolworths joint venture
In 2003 Caltex Australia entered into a joint venture agreement with large supermarket retailer Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
, to counter the launch of a similar fuel discount offer launched by rival Coles Group
Coles Group
Coles Group Limited was an Australian public company that operated numerous retail chains. It was Australia's second-largest retailer, behind Woolworths Limited...
. Woolworths' existing "Plus Petrol" service stations received Caltex branding and, similarly, Caltex service stations received Woolworths branding—the joint venture outlets became Caltex Woolworths. However this was the case only with certain Caltex service stations close to Woolworths supermarkets
Woolworths (supermarkets)
Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Woolworths Limited was founded in 1924, with the first store opening up in Sydney's Imperial Arcade.-2008 rebranding:...
and many remain unassociated with the fuel discount offer. In Victoria, Woolworths Supermarkets are known as Safeway and Caltex Woolworths trades under the Caltex Safeway brand.
Korea
In Korea, Chevron has operated under the brand name GS CaltexGS Caltex
GS Caltex is a South Korean oil refiner. The company changed its name from LG-Caltex Oil Corporation to GS Caltex Corporation on January 27, 2006...
since 1967.