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| World History | Year | Idemitsu History |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | ||
| Outbreak of First World War | 1914 | Sales channel opened up overseas (former Manchuria) |
| Great Kanto Earthquake | 1923 | |
| Outbreak of Second World War | 1939 | |
| 1940 | Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. incorporated | |
| Outbreak of Pacific War | 1941 | |
| War ends with acceptance of Potsdam Declaration GHQ establishes Petroleum Advisory Group (dissolved 1951) |
1945 |
| World History | Year | Idemitsu History |
|---|---|---|
| GHQ prohibits operation of Pacific coast oil refineries | 1946 | |
| Oil Distribution Public Corporation established | 1947 | Idemitsu returns to the oil business as 29 of its outlets across Japan are named retailers for the Oil Distribution Public Corporation |
| Primary oil distributor system established with 10 companies named as suppliers Gasoline tax implemented GHQ permits resumption of operation of Pacific coast oil refineries | 1949 | Idemitsu named a primary oil distributor |
| Outbreak of Korean War | 1950 | |
| Iran nationalizes oil industry San Francisco Peace Treaty signed |
1951 | Nissho Maru (second generation) commissioned "Return to the principle of Customers First" issued |
| 1952 | Import of high-octane gasoline from the United States for sale under the Apollo Gasoline brand begin |
|
| Japanese government encourages shift of heating energy source from coal to petroleum | 1953 | |
| Iran Consortium established | 1954 | |
| Petroleum Association of Japan established | 1955 | New York office opened |
Egypt closes Suez Canal |
1956 | |
| 1957 | Idemitsu enters the oil refining business | |
| Arabian Oil Co., Ltd. established | 1958 |
| World History | Year | Idemitsu History |
|---|---|---|
| Japan's first petrochemical complex opens in Yokkaichi | 1959 | First import of crude oil from Soviet Union |
| Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) formed | 1960 | |
| 1961 | Apollo Service Co., Ltd. established | |
| Petroleum Industry Law enacted, production restrictions through administrative guidance begin Liberalization of crude-oil importsa Standard prices of petroleum products announced (discontinued February 1966) |
1962 | Munakata Kaiun Co., Ltd. established |
| 1963 | ||
| Tokyo Olympics held Kyodo Oil (now Japan Energy) established |
1964 | Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd. established, Tokuyama Plant completed |
| Restrictions on oil production abolished | 1966 | Central Training Center opens Idemitsu Museum of Arts opens Idemitsu Maru, the world's first 200,000-ton class oil tanker (210,000 tons), commissioned |
| Pollution Countermeasures Basic Law promulgated | 1967 | World's first heavy oil direct-desulfurization equipment completed at the Chiba Refinery |
| Air Pollution Prevention Law promulgated | 1968 | Lubricants Research Laboratory opens |
| World History | Year | Idemitsu History |
|---|---|---|
| Lead-pollution issues arise | 1970 | Lubricants refining equipment completed at Chiba Refinery Central Research Laboratories open Hyogo Refinery completed |
| Tehran Agreement concluded U.S. announces measures to defend the dollar |
1971 | IAC established |
| Geneva Agreement concluded Diplomatic relations normalized between Japan and People's Republic of China Riyadh Agreement concluded |
1972 | |
Outbreak of Fourth Middle East War (Yom Kippur War) |
1973 | First import of crude oil from China (Daqing) Middle East Office established in Beirut Hokkaido Refinery completed |
| Japan Fair Trade Commission levels accusations at Petroleum Association of Japan and primary oil distributors Prices of petroleum products increased under administrative guidance Conference of oil-consuming countries held |
1974 | Kuwait Office established |
| Unleaded gasoline introduced | 1975 | Unleaded Red Appolo Gasoline introduced Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd. Chiba Plant completed Aichi Refinery completed, Abu Dhabi Office (now Middle East Office) established |
| Petroleum Reserve Law enacted | 1976 | Production begins at Agaoki Oil and Gas Field, Japan's first undersea oil field |
| Gasoline Retail Business Law enacted | 1977 | IIA established, Singapore Office opened (closed December 1980) |
| Political instability in Iran Second oil crisis Iranian revolution |
1979 |
| World History | Year | Idemitsu History |
|---|---|---|
| Outbreak of Iran-Iraq War (ceasefire agreed August 1988) |
1980 | Canada Office established |
| 1983 | Idemitsu unleaded Gold Apollo gasoline introduced Idemitsu Engineering Co., Ltd. established |
|
| 1984 | Japan's first heavy gas oil hydrogenated cracking unit completed at Hokkaido Refinery | |
| Plaza Accord IEA discusses issues on trading in products from Middle Eastern oil refineries Showa Shell Sekiyu established |
1985 | |
| Cosmo Oil established | 1986 | Alkylation unit completed at Aichi Refinery, Idemitsu New Gold Apollo Gasoline introduced |
| Petroleum industry deregulation action program begins | 1987 | IIE established Japan's first heavy oil fluid catalytic cracking unit completed at Aichi Refinery Idemitsu 100 Gasoline introduced |
| Gasoline production quotas (PQ) system abolished Consumption tax enacted U.S.-Soviet Malta Summit held, marking end of Cold War |
1989 | Idemitsu Nagahori Building, the first high-rise building built atop a service station, completed Method of deciding on petroleum-product prices on a monthly basis begins Idemitsu Oil & Gas Co., Ltd. established |
| World History | Year | Idemitsu History |
|---|---|---|
| Service-station construction regulations eased Iraq invades Kuwait |
1990 | Idemitsu Music Award established Service stations opened in Portugal (1991 - 1999) |
| Guidance on crude-oil processing discontinued | 1991 | Service stations opened in Puerto Rico (1992 - 2001) Beijing Office, Muscat Office established |
| 1992 | Lubricants production plant completed in the U.S. Production begins at the Snorre Field in the Norwegian North Sea |
|
| Nikko Kyodo Co., Ltd.(now Japan Energy) established | 1993 | |
| Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht) takes effect North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) takes effect |
1994 | Dhahran Office established Production begins at Ensham Coal Mine in Australia Heavy oil cracking unit completed at Hokkaido Refinery |
| Great Hanshin Earthquake Product Liability (PL) Law enacted |
1995 | Japan's first double-hull VLCC, Super Zearth, built |
Specific Petroleum Law abolished, Petroleum-Related Adjustments Act enactedPetroleum Association of Japan collects signatures on an increase in consumption tax |
1996 | Petroleum products shift to a new pricing structure Zearth earns Eco Mark product certification Idemitsu Oita Geothermal Co., Ltd. begins supply of steamAll Idemitsu refineries and plants earn ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certification Apollo-branded service station opens in Dalian, China |
| Systemic changes made toward liberalization of exports of petroleum products Kyoto Conference on Climate Change held |
1997 | Idemitsu begins bulk supply of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas |
| Self-service service stations legalized in Japan International industry reorganization advances as Exxon and Mobil agree to a merger Tokyo Commodity Exchange begins trading in gasoline and kerosene futures Nisseki Mitsubishi (now Nippon Oil) established |
1998 | All Idemitsu refineries and plants earn ISO 14001 certification New Business Development Office established |
| World History | Year | Idemitsu History |
|---|---|---|
| TonenGeneral Sekiyu established | 2000 | Preferred shares issued in capital increase to 38.8 billion yen Successful commercialization of CVT traction oil Fuel-cell project established |
| 2001 | Head office earns ISO 14001 certification Idemitsu Gas and Life Co., Ltd. established |
|
| Petroleum Industry Law abolished | 2002 | Electronic Materials Office established Energy Solution Business Office established |
| U.S. and British forces begin attack on Iraq Amendments to the Act on the Quality Control of Gasoline and Other Fuels permit content of alcohol and other additives in gasoline at up to 3% for ethanol and up to 1.3% for other oxygenated compounds |
2003 | Hyogo Refinery closed Hokkaido Refinery crude-oil and naphtha tanks damaged by fire resulting from earthquake off the coast of Tokachi Idemitsu Credit and Credit Saison merge through comprehensive partnership (ownership: 50%) Businesses of Munakata Kaiun and Asahi Tanker merged Okinawa Sekiyu Seisei Co., Ltd. closed |
| Act on the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, Independent Administrative Agency enacted System instituted of labeling total prices including consumption tax Islamic extremists attack U.S. oil companies in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia Authority in Iraq transferred from Coalition Provisional Authority to provisional Iraq government |
2004 | Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. and Idemitsu Petrochemical announce merger of polyolefin businesses Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. merges with Idemitsu Petrochemical Co., Ltd. |
| Kyoto Protocol takes effect Hurricane Katrina strikes London bombings Bali bombings |
2005 | Idemitsu Aviation Co., Ltd. established Prime Polymer Co., Ltd. established Capital increase through third-party allocation of shares and paid-in retirement of preferred shares implemented |
| Livedoor scandal Nippon Oil and Japan Energy form partnership in development, refining, logistics, and other operations |
2006 | Businesses of Idemitsu Gas and Life Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Liquified Gas Co. merged Idemitsu Unitech Co., Ltd. absorbs Idemitsu Plastics Co., Ltd. Stock listed on First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange |
| Pension-related issues arise Food mislabeling scandals |
2007 | |
| Crude-oil prices rise Financial instability arises in response to subprime-loan issues |
2008 | Idemitsu Kosan President Akihiko Tembo named President of the Petroleum Association of Japan Fuel-oil pricing method changed (to market-linked pricing) |
| New strain of influenza spreads worldwide Democratic Party of Japan victorious in 45th elections to House of Representatives and forms new government |
2009 | Okinawa Idemitsu Co., Ltd. established Akihiko Tembo named Chairman, Kazuhisa Nakano named President |
| Massive earthquakes occur in Haiti (magnitude 7) and Chile (magnitude 8.8) Accident results in oil leak in Gulf of Mexico |
2010 | Chiba Chemicals Manufacturing LLP established to achieve joint operation of ethylene complex |
