BP Shipping
BP's maritime logistics, shipping and marine-assurance division. British Tanker Company was the tanker fleet and maritime transport arm of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, later becoming BP Tanker Company.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
BP Shipping is the maritime arm of BP, the United Kingdom-headquartered energy group. It provides the shipping, marine logistics, vessel-assurance and marine-insurance capabilities required by BP's worldwide oil, gas and energy operations. Its responsibilities have historically extended beyond owning and operating tankers: the unit has managed cargo movements, chartered capacity from outside shipowners, arranged inland and harbour transport, assessed vessels used by BP, and supported the insurance requirements of craft operating in connection with the group's activities. The business traces its institutional origins to the British Tanker Company, established by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in April 1915. Before that company was created, Anglo-Persian had relied on independent contractors to transport petroleum from Persia, now Iran, to Europe and India. The British Tanker Company ordered its first seven steam-powered oil tankers from Tyneside shipbuilders Armstrong Whitworth and Swan Hunter. Its first vessel, British Emperor, was launched in 1916. The company developed a naming convention in which its ships carried the prefix “British,” a practice associated with the fleet's early identity. The tanker business expanded substantially between the world wars and during the growth of the international petroleum trade. During the Second World War, the British government chartered the company's entire fleet for fuel transport. The fleet suffered severe wartime losses: 41 vessels were sunk and two more were damaged beyond normal service and converted into storage hulks. After the war, the fleet resumed its commercial role and grew to include increasingly large crude-oil tankers. One notable development was British Aviator, the company's first diesel-powered tanker and, at the time of its construction, a particularly powerful single-screw motor ship. In 1965, British Admiral became the first 100,000-deadweight-ton tanker built in Europe. Following Anglo-Persian's 1954 renaming as the British Petroleum Company, the British Tanker Company became the BP Tanker Company in 1956. In 1981 it adopted the name BP Shipping, reflecting an expanded remit that included marine-insurance activities as well as tanker management. The division subsequently developed into a broader shipping and marine-services organization covering crude oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and regional marine transport. Historical operating information illustrates the scale of the business. At the end of 2006, BP Shipping managed 57 vessels, including very large crude carriers, a North Sea shuttle tanker, medium-sized crude and product carriers, LNG carriers and LPG carriers. It also managed regional vessels, chartered additional hydrocarbon-carrying ships, and coordinated thousands of voyages. The division reported cargo movements of hundreds of millions of tonnes, with seagoing tankers accounting for approximately two-thirds of shipments and inland or harbour barges carrying the remainder. Its marine-assurance work also covered hundreds of support craft, including tugs, crew boats, barges and seismic vessels. BP Shipping's operating model has not depended solely on a wholly owned fleet. A significant proportion of capacity has been obtained through time charters and other arrangements with external operators. The division has also held or managed interests connected with specialized shipping activities, including Alaska tanker operations and LNG shipping serving the Guangdong LNG terminal. Historical personnel and operational centers were concentrated in London, Singapore and Chicago. BP's shipping activities have also been associated with a wider BP Trading & Shipping organization, although the available reference material does not establish a separate current corporate structure or current fleet composition for BP Shipping itself.
History
BP Shipping's history begins with the maritime transport needs of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Initially, the oil company used independent shipowners to move petroleum from Persia to overseas markets. In April 1915 it established the British Tanker Company with initial capital of £100,000 and commissioned seven steam tankers from Armstrong Whitworth and Swan Hunter on the River Tyne. British Emperor, launched in 1916 at 3,663 gross tons, became the first vessel in the new fleet. The company's ships adopted names beginning with “British,” creating a recognizable fleet identity that continued through later generations. The British Tanker Company grew alongside Anglo-Persian's oil production and distribution network. Its fleet included British Aviator, a 6,998-gross-ton vessel and the company's first diesel-powered oil tanker. During the Second World War, the British government requisitioned the fleet under charter for military fuel transport. The maritime risks of wartime petroleum distribution were substantial: 41 of the company's 93 ships were sunk, while two other vessels were damaged so severely that they were retained only as storage hulks. After the war, the company participated in the expansion of large-scale international tanker transport. In November 1954, Anglo-Persian changed its name to the British Petroleum Company. Two years later, in 1956, the British Tanker Company was renamed the BP Tanker Company. By the end of the 1950s, its fleet had reached 146 vessels, including tankers of up to 38,000 gross tons and 67,000 deadweight tons. The company was already planning still larger ships capable of carrying approximately 100,000 deadweight tons. British Admiral, launched at Barrow-in-Furness in 1965 by Queen Elizabeth II, became the first 100,000-deadweight-ton tanker built in Europe. The organization adopted the name BP Shipping Limited in 1981. The new name reflected a broader role than traditional tanker ownership and operation, particularly the inclusion of marine-insurance responsibilities. Over time, its remit covered the movement of BP's crude oil, refined products, LNG and LPG, together with coastal, inland and harbour transport. The division also became responsible for marine assurance: vessels and floating equipment supporting BP operations were subject to inspection and vetting, with the stated policy that a vessel was unacceptable unless positively shown to meet requirements. By the end of 2006, the historical reference material records BP Shipping as managing 57 vessels. The fleet included four very large crude carriers, a North Sea shuttle tanker, 42 medium-sized crude and product carriers, seven LNG carriers and three newly built LPG carriers. A further 24 regional vessels were included in the operating structure. In addition, more than 100 hydrocarbon-carrying vessels above 600 deadweight tons were operated on time charter. The division coordinated around 7,000 voyages and moved approximately 270 million tonnes of cargo, with several hundred cargoes typically at sea at any one time. Its marine-insurance and assurance scope extended to approximately 800–900 other craft, such as tugs, crew boats, barges and seismic vessels. The cited 2006 material states that 4,700 inspections were conducted that year and that about half initially resulted in rejection. This illustrates that BP Shipping's historical function involved risk control and operational assurance as well as freight movement. Other historical interests and facilities included BP Shipcare, a lay-up facility in East Malaysia; a minority shareholding in Alaska Tanker Company, whose purpose-built tankers moved Alaskan crude to ports on the United States West Coast; and a 40% shareholding in China LNG Shipping, a ship-management service associated with LNG carriers serving the Guangdong LNG terminal. The division's principal personnel bases were described as London, Singapore and Chicago. The available sources do not provide a complete current fleet list, current executive roster, or a definitive description of the division's present legal structure. British Tanker Company was formed in April 1915 as the dedicated maritime transport arm of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. The parent company had developed oil production and refining operations in Persia after the discovery of oil in 1908, but initially depended on outside carriers to move petroleum to customers. Navigational limitations at Abadan made the supply chain particularly complex: tankers often had to remain offshore while oil was transferred by smaller vessels. The acquisition of early vessels, followed by the decision to build a controlled tanker fleet, gave Anglo-Persian greater security over the movement of its own cargoes. The company ordered seven steam tankers from Armstrong Whitworth and Swan Hunter on Tyneside. British Emperor, launched in 1916, was the first of these vessels. British government investment in the parent enterprise reflected the importance of oil fuel to the Royal Navy, and the new fleet was closely connected to wartime supply requirements. In 1917, the acquisition of assets from the seized German company Benzin und Petroleum BP AG brought the Petroleum Steamship Company and thirteen tankers into the British Tanker Company group. The company also managed seven Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers, establishing capabilities that extended beyond owning and operating its own commercial ships. By 1919, the fleet had grown to twenty-five vessels. Expansion continued as petroleum consumption increased across industrial economies. British Tanker Company operated tankers carrying both crude oil and refined products, including fuel oil, benzine and kerosene. Britain was the main destination, while India and Europe formed important secondary markets. By 1924, the fleet contained sixty ships, and British Aviator introduced diesel propulsion to the company’s ocean-going operations. By 1928, the fleet included eighty seagoing tankers, five coastal vessels and four government-owned steamers, supplemented by chartered tankers. A 1923 bunkering agreement with P&O broadened the company’s role in marine fuel support. The Depression reduced employment and demand in the global shipping sector, but British Tanker Company was supported by the strategic position of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. The company laid up relatively few ships for short periods and resumed substantial shipbuilding orders as conditions improved. The 1932 creation of Shell-Mex & BP altered the structure of British domestic petroleum distribution and led to transfers of some vessels. In 1935, the parent company became the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, while British Tanker Company continued to expand its fleet. The Second World War placed the entire fleet under British government charter. The company moved fuel for the armed forces and managed additional requisitioned and American-supplied ships. Its responsibilities reached 146 vessels by 1942. Losses were severe: forty-four company-owned ships and six managed ships were sunk, primarily in the Atlantic and Mediterranean submarine campaigns. Several other vessels were damaged so badly that they became storage hulks. After the war, the fleet was rebuilt to ninety-three ships within two years through purchases of American T2 tankers and former merchant aircraft carriers, as well as a programme of fifty-seven new tankers. Post-war fleet policy became more flexible. Rather than owning almost all required tonnage, the company increasingly used charters to meet peak requirements. Lowland Tanker Company was created with Mathesons and Common Brothers to operate ten time-chartered tankers exclusively for British Tanker Company. The 1951 nationalisation of Iran’s oil industry then disrupted the company’s central Abadan-based logistics. Anglo-Iranian Oil Company withdrew its employees from Iran and sought alternative oil relationships, notably in Kuwait and Bahrain. British Tanker Company redirected its ships, while the Petroleum Steamship Company evacuated small craft from Abadan to Basra and Kuwait. During the early 1950s, the company also ordered thirteen larger tankers of about 18,000 gross register tons. Their greater capacity was valuable when the Suez Canal closed during the 1956 crisis, forcing vessels to travel around southern Africa. The parent company changed its name to British Petroleum in the mid-1950s, and British Tanker Company became BP Tanker Company in 1956. The original company consequently became a predecessor of BP’s later tanker and shipping operations rather than a continuing independent brand.
- 2006
Historical fleet and cargo-scale record
[1]BP Shipping was recorded as managing 57 vessels, chartering additional capacity, coordinating about 7,000 voyages and moving approximately 270 million tonnes of cargo.
- 1981
Renamed BP Shipping
[1]The company adopted the BP Shipping Limited name to reflect its wider shipping and marine-insurance responsibilities.
- 1965
British Admiral launched
[1]British Admiral was launched as the first 100,000-deadweight-ton tanker built in Europe.
- 1956
Renamed BP Tanker Company
[1]British Tanker Company adopts the BP Tanker Company name after the parent company becomes British Petroleum.
- 1954
Parent company adopts British Petroleum name
[1]The Anglo-Persian Oil Company was renamed the British Petroleum Company, preceding the tanker subsidiary's own renaming.
- 1951
Iranian oil nationalisation disrupts operations
[2]Loss of access to Abadan prompts a major rerouting and redeployment of tankers and associated craft.
- 1942
Fleet under control reaches 146 ships
[2]Including managed and assistance tonnage, the company controls 146 ships during the Second World War.
- 1939
Fleet chartered for wartime fuel transport
[1]At the outbreak of the Second World War, the British government chartered the company's full fleet for military fuel duties.
- 1939
Wartime fleet charter
[2]The British government charters the entire fleet for wartime fuel transport.
- 1935
Fleet renewal resumes
[2]The company begins ordering twenty-four additional ships as the Depression recedes; the parent company is renamed Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.
Products and positioning
An integrated energy-shipping and marine-assurance specialist serving the logistics and risk-management needs of BP's global energy businesses. A vertically integrated petroleum tanker operator created to secure maritime transport capacity for the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and to support British fuel security.
Marine logistics · 1915
Crude-oil tanker transport
The division's traditional core activity is moving crude oil for BP's integrated energy operations. Historical fleet categories included very large crude carriers, North Sea shuttle tankers and medium-sized crude carriers. Capacity was supplied through a combination of managed vessels and time-chartered ships.
Marine logistics
Petroleum-product transport
BP Shipping has coordinated sea transport for refined petroleum products using medium-sized product carriers, regional vessels and barges. This activity connects BP's refining, trading, storage and distribution operations across international and regional markets.
Gas shipping
LNG and LPG shipping
The historical fleet included LNG carriers and LPG carriers, extending BP Shipping's capabilities beyond conventional oil tankers. The division also had a recorded interest in China LNG Shipping, a ship-management service associated with carriers serving the Guangdong LNG terminal.
Marine risk management
Marine assurance and vessel vetting
BP Shipping has assessed ships and other floating equipment used in or around BP activities. Its historical assurance remit covered tankers as well as tugs, crew boats, barges and seismic vessels, using inspections and vetting to determine whether craft were acceptable for BP-related work.
Marine services · 1981
Marine insurance support
Marine-insurance responsibilities were an important reason for the 1981 adoption of the BP Shipping name. The function supported the risk and insurance requirements of BP's maritime operations and associated floating assets.
Maritime petroleum logistics · 1915
Crude oil transportation
The company’s principal role was the seaborne movement of crude oil from Persian Gulf production and refining infrastructure to Britain, India and European destinations. In the 1920s, Britain received the largest share of cargoes, with crude delivered to refineries including Llandarcy and Grangemouth.
Maritime petroleum logistics · 1915
Refined petroleum products
British Tanker Company carried refined products such as fuel oil, benzine and kerosene. These cargoes supported industrial, transport, naval and commercial fuel markets across the United Kingdom, India, Europe and other destinations served by the parent company.
Shipping services · 1917
Tanker fleet management
Beyond operating owned vessels, the company managed Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers, requisitioned ships and American assistance tonnage. Its responsibilities expanded substantially during the Second World War, when it controlled up to 146 vessels.
Marine fuel services · 1923
Bunkering support
A 1923 agreement with P&O involved supplying bunkering facilities for the latter’s ships, extending the company’s petroleum logistics activities beyond long-distance cargo carriage.
Brand decisions
1956
Adopt the BP Tanker Company identityStrategyBackground
The parent Anglo-Iranian Oil Company adopted the British Petroleum name as part of a broader corporate identity change.
Action taken
British Tanker Company was renamed BP Tanker Company, with the new identity introduced in 1956.
Aftermath
The historical British Tanker Company brand ended, while tanker operations continued within the BP organisation.
1951
Redirect tanker logistics after Iranian nationalisationStrategyBackground
Iran nationalised its oil industry, disrupting Anglo-Iranian Oil Company access to Abadan and its established refining and shipping arrangements.
Action taken
The company rerouted and repurposed tankers, developed alternative supply relationships involving Kuwait and Bahrain, and moved associated small craft toward Basra and Kuwait.
Aftermath
The fleet continued operating despite the loss of its principal Persian production and refining base.
1915
Create an owned tanker fleetStrategyBackground
The Anglo-Persian Oil Company faced logistical constraints at Abadan and relied on independent carriers to move its petroleum.
Action taken
It established British Tanker Company and ordered seven steam-powered oil tankers from British shipbuilders.
Aftermath
The parent company gained a dedicated shipping arm and progressively greater control over its petroleum supply chain.
Initial capital. £100,000 (1915)
Sources3 sources
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