Hass Petroleum is a privately owned oil marketing company in Kenya, founded in 1997 by two brothers, the late Abdirizak Ali Hassan and Abdinasir Ali Hassan, under the Company name AA Hassan & Company.
Since then, the business has attracted partners to support expansion and product extension.
The company currently operates under the chairmanship of Abdinasir Ali Hassan.
It was initially conceived as an export reseller, but the two brothers set their sights on the serendipitously liberalised market in Tanzania.
This marked its humble beginnings in the pursuit of international trade opportunities.
Hassan said they came from a family of transporters dealing in bulk cargo.
He revealed that they started selling oil when the El Nino cut the supply in the Lake region.
Hassan said his brother purchased a truck from Tanzania, and they received many orders.
“We were transporters for Caltex and Mobil at that time and based in Kisumu. There was a lot of demand for oil from the Lake Region when El Niño cut off the supply. We purchased one truck and started selling. My brother went to Mwanza, and we got more orders,” he said.
Hass operates in nine countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi.
Foundation and Growth
The Company’s headquarters were set up in Kisumu, western Kenya, strategically near the Kenya Pipeline Depot that services neighbouring Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo, and South Sudan.
A strategic partnership with the then Caltex provided both required resale products as well as additional trucking business for northern Tanzania. Later, El Nino rains cut off product distribution in Tanzania.
In 1998, the Musoma depot in Tanzania was built, and a well-managed petroleum product transportation system over Lake Victoria using a barge was created.
MV Uhuru docks at the depot, offloading products that would be distributed across Tanzania.
Hass entered Uganda, the DRC and South Sudan the following year.
In 2001, AA Hassan rebranded to Al Hassan Company in preparation for oil and shipping registration bids in Kenya.
It also opened the maiden state-of-the-art retail station in Kibuye Kisumu.
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Rebranding to Hass Petroleum Group
Al Hassan rebranded to Hass Petroleum Group in 2002 and registered in Kenya as an oil marketing company.
Hass Petroleum headquarters moved to Lonrho House, Nairobi, and shortly after, to Barclays Plaza, Nairobi, the following year.
It also introduced lubricants under a partnership with Adnoc Lubricants and entered Rwanda.
In 2008, Hass Petroleum entered Lubumbashi and installed an inland terminal to serve both existing and prospective consumers in DR Congo.
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Somali Market
The Company also acquired 8 Pearl Oil stations in Uganda, which currently operate 38 stations.
Hass entered the Somali market in 2011, supported by an operational, global standardised Berbera Oil Terminal.
The Group launched Hass Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in 2012.
In 2014, Hass commissioned an LPG plant in Juba, South Sudan and completed the Hass Petroleum inland depot at Kyengera, Kampala, Uganda
Subsequently, it ventured into the international aviation business, introducing jet fuel.
The Company constructed an aviation fuel depot in Mogadishu, Somalia, the following year.
Oman Trading Purchases 40%
In 2016, Oman Trading International acquired a 40% stake in Hass Petroleum, and Hass sprang into a multi-national status.
Oman Trading International have rebranded to OQ Trading Limited.
It launched Oman Oil lubricants in Kenya, Uganda & DR Congo in 2018.
In 2019, the Company launched plants in Kisumu and Nairobi.
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