A Century of Royal Dutch Shell

In 1907 the Royal Dutch Company for the Exploitation of Oilwells in the Dutch East Indies and the "Shell" Transport & Trading Company merged their respective enterprises. By combining their forces they evolved into a worldwide enterprise within ten years and quickly became industry leaders.

It was a period in which Shell recovered very rapidly from the losses of the war and emerged as the second largest oil company in the world, despite many new challengers and competitors. Shell was one of the forces behind the hydrocarbon revolution. With the growth of the number of cars, trains, and planes the demand for transport fuels was enormous. Shell made the strategic decision to develop a petrochemical business and became a significant chemicals company. Chemicals became the second core business of the Group.

This was a period in which Shell had to keep competitive in turbulent oil markets. The demand for gas increased, making gas Shell's second most important product. At the same time the Group remained a strong oil company and a major player in petrochemicals.