Rubis
Rubis is a France-based international group operating in fuel distribution, liquefied petroleum gas, industrial storage, and related petroleum, chemical, and food-product logistics.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Rubis is a French international energy and logistics group whose activities center on the storage, distribution, and sale of petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and selected chemical and food products. Established through the creation of Rubis Investment & Cie in 1990 and its subsequent merger with Penhoët in 1992, the company developed through a combination of acquisitions, operating subsidiaries, and geographic expansion. Its business model has historically emphasized downstream activities rather than oil exploration or crude-oil production. The group has two principal operating areas. Rubis Énergie distributes petroleum products, with LPG as a major activity. LPG is marketed in bottled and bulk formats, often under the Vitogaz name, for household, commercial, industrial, and transport-related uses. Depending on the market, Rubis's downstream activities also include fuels, service-station operations, aviation fuel, and related energy products. Its geographic portfolio has included France, the French overseas territories, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and other island markets. Rubis has become a significant operator in a number of local markets, including France, Switzerland, Bermuda, Jamaica, Madagascar, Morocco, Senegal, Kenya, the Channel Islands, and the French Antilles and Guiana. Rubis Terminal, the group's storage division, provides industrial liquid-storage services for international and regional customers. Its terminals handle petroleum products, chemicals, and food products. The storage business gives Rubis exposure to supply-chain infrastructure and third-party logistics in addition to direct fuel distribution. Subsidiaries and operating entities associated with the group have included Coparef, Rubis Terminal, Vitogaz, Kelsey Gas, Lasfargaz, and La Collette Terminal. Expansion has been a defining feature of Rubis's development. The company acquired the French hydrocarbons and chemicals storage operator Compagnie Parisienne des Asphaltes in 1993 and took control of LPG distributor Vitogaz in 1994. It later expanded through acquisitions and partnerships involving Shell, BP, Chevron, and other regional operators. These transactions strengthened its presence in the West Indies, French Guiana, Spain, Africa, the Caribbean, and other international markets. In 2006, Rubis and BP established Frangaz, a 50:50 French LPG joint venture; Rubis acquired BP's interest in 2010. Rubis has been listed on Euronext Paris since 1995. The company is best understood as an international downstream energy and storage group with a portfolio of locally embedded subsidiaries and brands rather than as a single consumer-facing product label. Its positioning combines essential-energy distribution, LPG specialization, and infrastructure-based storage services. The group remains active, although the available reference material does not provide a complete current account of its ownership structure, leadership team, product mix, or latest operating markets.
History
Rubis traces its origins to Rubis Investment & Cie, founded by Gilles Gobin in 1990. In June 1992, that company acquired and merged with the investment firm Penhoët, creating the Rubis group. The new organization pursued a strategy of building a diversified downstream energy and storage platform through acquisitions rather than through upstream exploration. In April 1993, Rubis acquired Compagnie Parisienne des Asphaltes, a leading French hydrocarbons and chemicals storage operator. The business was subsequently renamed Rubis Terminal and became the foundation of the group's industrial-storage activities. In August 1994, Rubis took control of LPG distributor Vitogaz. Under Rubis ownership, Vitogaz developed beyond its original market and became an important vehicle for international LPG expansion. Rubis was listed on Euronext Paris on January 12, 1995. During the following years, the company continued to add storage and distribution assets. In October 2001, it acquired Propétrol, an oil-storage subsidiary of Pétrofrance. The group expanded its overseas presence in 2005 through the purchase of Shell's LPG and petroleum-distribution activities in the West Indies and French Guiana. The transaction was reported at €116 million in the supplied reference material. Rubis subsequently acquired additional Shell operations in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In October 2006, Rubis and BP formed Frangaz, a 50:50 joint venture distributing LPG in France. Rubis acquired BP's half of the venture in 2010, giving it full control. That year also marked a further expansion in the Caribbean through the acquisition of Chevron's activities in the region. Rubis later acquired additional downstream operations there. On November 16, 2010, it took control of BP's operations in Spain and entered into a long-term agreement with BP. The company continued to develop outside France. In January 2012, Rubis acquired a 50 percent interest in Turkish company Delta Petrol. In July of that year, it announced the sale of its LPG operations in Senegal and the Czech Republic, demonstrating that its expansion strategy also involved portfolio reshaping and divestment. In January 2013, Rubis acquired Shell's Jamaican assets, ending Shell's approximately 90-year presence as the dominant operator in that market. Rubis's operating structure has generally been organized around Rubis Énergie and Rubis Terminal. Rubis Énergie distributes petroleum products, especially LPG, in bottled and bulk forms under brands including Vitogaz. Rubis Terminal operates storage facilities serving customers in petroleum, chemical, and food-product supply chains. The group has used subsidiaries such as Coparef, Kelsey Gas, Lasfargaz, and La Collette Terminal to conduct activities in particular markets or business segments. The historical record supplied for this dossier does not establish a detailed current leadership roster, the precise present-day ownership structure, or a complete account of subsequent acquisitions and disposals. The available material nevertheless identifies Rubis as an active, publicly listed French group with an international downstream-energy and storage footprint.
- 2013
Jamaican Shell assets acquired
[1]Rubis acquired Shell's Jamaican assets, ending Shell's long-standing dominance in that market.
- 2012
Turkish investment and portfolio restructuring
[1]Rubis acquired a 50 percent stake in Delta Petrol in Turkey and announced the sale of its LPG operations in Senegal and the Czech Republic.
- 2010
Frangaz and Caribbean expansion
[1]Rubis acquired BP's interest in Frangaz, purchased Chevron's Caribbean activities, and took control of BP operations in Spain.
- 2006
Frangaz joint venture created
[1]Rubis and BP established Frangaz as a 50:50 LPG-distribution joint venture in France.
- 2005
Shell Caribbean and Guiana activities acquired
[1]Rubis acquired Shell's LPG and petroleum-distribution activities in the West Indies and French Guiana.
- 2001
Propétrol acquired
[1]Rubis purchased Propétrol, an oil-storage subsidiary of Pétrofrance.
- 1995
Euronext Paris listing
[1]Rubis was listed on Euronext Paris on January 12, 1995.
- 1994
Vitogaz acquired
[1]Rubis took control of LPG distributor Vitogaz and subsequently used it to support international expansion.
- 1993
Entry into industrial storage
[1]Rubis acquired Compagnie Parisienne des Asphaltes, later renamed Rubis Terminal, establishing the group's storage business.
- 1992
Formation of Rubis
[1]Rubis Investment & Cie acquired and merged with Penhoët, creating Rubis.
Products and positioning
An international downstream energy and logistics group focused on LPG and petroleum distribution, complemented by industrial storage for petroleum, chemical, and food products.
LPG distribution
Vitogaz
Vitogaz is Rubis's LPG distribution brand and operating platform. It supplies liquefied petroleum gas in bottled and bulk formats for households, commercial customers, and industrial users. The business originated as an acquired distributor in France and was subsequently expanded internationally through Rubis's acquisition-led strategy.
Fuel and LPG distribution
Rubis Énergie
Rubis Énergie is the group's downstream distribution division. Its activities primarily involve LPG, sold in cylinders or in bulk, together with petroleum products and related fuels in selected markets. The division operates through local subsidiaries and brands across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and overseas territories.
Industrial liquid storage · 1993
Rubis Terminal
Rubis Terminal provides storage infrastructure for international and regional customers. Its facilities handle liquid petroleum products, chemicals, and food products, giving Rubis a logistics and infrastructure business alongside its fuel-distribution operations.
Brand decisions
2013
Acquisition of Shell's Jamaican assetsM&ABackground
Rubis sought to strengthen its position in the Jamaican downstream-energy market.
Action taken
Rubis acquired Shell's Jamaican assets.
Aftermath
The acquisition ended Shell's approximately 90-year dominance in Jamaica and expanded Rubis's local operating position.
2012
Investment in Delta PetrolM&ABackground
Rubis extended its downstream presence into Turkey.
Action taken
Rubis acquired a 50 percent stake in Turkish company Delta Petrol.
Aftermath
The investment added a Turkish distribution and energy-platform interest to Rubis's portfolio.
2012
Sale of selected LPG operationsStrategyBackground
Rubis reviewed the composition of its international LPG portfolio.
Action taken
The company announced the sale of its LPG operations in Senegal and the Czech Republic.
Aftermath
The decision illustrated that Rubis's international strategy combined acquisitions with selective divestments.
2010
Acquisition of BP's Frangaz interestM&ABackground
Rubis continued consolidating its French LPG-distribution operations.
Action taken
Rubis purchased BP's half of Frangaz.
Aftermath
Rubis became the sole owner of the French LPG joint venture.
2010
Expansion through Chevron and BP assetsM&ABackground
Rubis pursued additional downstream scale in the Caribbean and Spain.
Action taken
The company acquired Chevron's Caribbean activities and took control of BP's Spanish operations under a long-term agreement.
Aftermath
The transactions expanded Rubis's regional fuel-distribution footprint.
2006
Creation of the Frangaz joint ventureM&ABackground
Rubis and BP sought to combine their French LPG-distribution activities.
Action taken
The companies established Frangaz as a 50:50 joint venture.
Aftermath
Rubis later acquired BP's 50 percent interest and obtained full control in 2010.
Sources2 sources
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