History
Anonima Petroli Italiana (API) was founded in Ancona in 1933 by Ferdinando Peretti.[6] It operates as a strategic coordinator of all API group's activities, through the direct supplying of semi-finished crude oil and assigned in the production, the acquisition of finished products and their transport, the exchanges with other oil companies to optimize the distributive logistics, the complementary activity of trading of crude oil and by-products to clients, and the sale of all the by-products in Italy and to foreign countries. It also is dedicated to operate and develop oil and gas field properties.[7][8] It owns a refinery in Ancona with a capacity of 3.9 million tonnes/year and an electric power plant of 250 MW.
In 2005, the company acquired Italiana Petroli (IP) from Agip (Eni).[9][10] After a few years running the chains in parallel, it switched all its stations to a revamped IP image and supplies in 2012 around 4,200 filling stations (up from around 1,600 at the time of the acquisition) with a market share of 11%.[11]
In 2017, Total and Erg signed an agreement with Anonima Petroli Italiana, to sell the fuel marketing and refining assets in their TotalErg joint venture. Total has stated that the reason behind this divestment is that the Italian fuel market is highly fragmented and the company's expectations for profitability have not been met.[12]
In 2018 TotalErg was acquired by Gruppo API,[13][14] with the exception of the Special Fluids division, acquired by the newly formed Total Italia,[15] and the subsidiary Totalgaz Italia, sold to the UGI Corporation and renamed UniverGas Italia.
All TotalErg stations will be progressively replaced by those bearing the IP Gruppo API brand.[16][17]
In 2019, TotalErg merged into Anonoma Petroli Italiana, and the company took on the name Italiana Petroli.[18]
In September 2025, Gruppo API has been sold to the Azerbaijani petroleum company SOCAR.[19][20]
