Socatra
Socatra is a French family-owned shipping company founded in 1977, operating as the only remaining French oil shipowner with a 12-vessel fleet of medium and small tankers serving major oil companies globally. It also provides onshore oil storage, tourism via Vedettes de Paris, and third-party ship management.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersBordeaux, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Socatra does
Socatra is a French family-owned maritime shipping company founded in 1977 in Bordeaux, operating as the only remaining French oil shipowner offering oil transportation solutions. The company owns and operates a fleet of 12 vessels comprising medium tankers (Antares, Alcyone, Ecomar Gascogne, Ecomar Garonne, Ecomar Guyenne) and small tankers (Avisoa, Hydra, Sedna, Beluga, Feresa, Anthas, Tsaravatsy, Kiarseni), sailing under French and Luxembourg flags. Socatra provides flexible navigation services including long-distance voyages, cabotage, regular lines, and tramping operations for major oil companies globally, with three new vessels (Sirenia, Ecomar Gironde, 40KT TBN) currently under construction to expand capacity.
Beyond core oil transport, Socatra operates three adjacent business lines: onshore petroleum product storage through two depot facilities on France's west coast (via wholly-owned Socatra Storage Operations), tourism operations on the Seine river through Vedettes de Paris, and third-party ship management services for other shipowners. The company is registered as a SAS with €29,176,000 in share capital under Bordeaux RCS number 310 288 162. Operations are supported by global offices in France (Bordeaux headquarters), Luxembourg, Singapore, and Madagascar, enabling the fleet to call at oil ports worldwide.
Socatra employs over 400 French and foreign seafarers at sea and more than 50 sedentary staff across its offices, with 142 training courses conducted and 37 officer cadets trained in 2019. The company is led by Chairman Fernand Bozzoni, a co-founder, reflecting continued family ownership and governance. The business model is B2B and quote-based, with chartering services negotiated directly with oil majors, complemented by depot storage fees, tourism ticket revenue, and professional ship management fees. Notable operational certifications include ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management), Green Marine Europe label, and Charte Bleue d'Armateurs de France. The company has demonstrated bespoke project capability through its tailored river transport solution for Airbus A380 components.
Socatra firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Socatra
- Legal name
- SOCATRA
- Website
- https://socatra.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Socatra is a French family-owned shipping company founded in 1977, operating as the only remaining French oil shipowner with a 12-vessel fleet of medium and small tankers serving major oil companies globally. It also provides onshore oil storage, tourism via Vedettes de Paris, and third-party ship management.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Socatra is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bordeaux
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Socatra business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Oil Transport Services: Core shipping business providing oil transportation solutions as the only French oil shipowner. Services include long-distance voyages, cabotage, regular lines, and tramping operations.
- Oil Storage/Depot Services: Onshore oil product storage facilities with 2 sites on the west coast of France
- Tourism Operations: Tourism sector operations on the Seine river through Vedettes de Paris company
- Third-Party Ship Management: Manages ships for third-party shipowners alongside operating own fleet
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Socatra product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Socatra is a French shipowner that operates a fleet of 12 medium and small oil/chemical tankers providing seaborne oil transportation across long-distance, cabotage, regular-line, and tramping routes. The company also runs onshore oil product storage depots on the west coast of France, third-party ship management services, and Seine river tourism operations through its Vedettes de Paris subsidiary.
Product overview
Socatra is a French shipowner providing maritime oil transportation solutions through its fleet of Medium and Small Tankers, complemented by onshore petroleum storage facilities and tourism services. The company operates as owner and operator of its vessels sailing under French or Luxembourg flags, offering flexible navigation options including long-distance voyages, cabotage, and tramping routes. The fleet comprises 12 vessels including Medium Tankers (Antares, Alcyone, Ecomar Gascogne, Ecomar Garonne, Ecomar Guyenne) and Small Tankers (Avisoa, Hydra, Sedna, Beluga, Feresa, Anthas, Tsaravatsy, Kiarseni), with new buildings under development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Medium Tankers
Companies that use Socatra
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Socatra technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Socatra partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Marins sans FrontièreminorHumanitarian partnership supporting maritime welfare initiatives. Socatra participates in humanitarian commitments through this organization.
- Vedettes de PariscoreSocatra operates in the tourism sector through Vedettes de Paris, providing Seine river tourism services in Paris.
- AirbusminorTailor-made river transport solution for Airbus A380 components, demonstrating custom project capabilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Socatra competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Euronav: Belgian crude oil tanker operator with one of the world's largest fleets of VLCCs and Suezmaxes. Directly comparable to Socatra as an owner-operator of oil tankers serving global oil majors.
- Hafnia: Denmark/Singapore-based product tanker pool operator and owner with a large fleet. Comparable to Socatra in product tanker operations and complementary ship management services.
- Torm: Danish product tanker operator with a large fleet of MR and LR1 vessels. Comparable to Socatra in serving refined petroleum product trades globally with mid-size tankers.
- Scorpio Tankers: Monaco-based product and chemical tanker operator with a large fleet of MR and LR1 tankers. Directly comparable to Socatra in operating mid-size product tankers for refined petroleum and chemical cargoes.
- Ardmore Shipping: Bermuda-based product and chemical tanker operator with MR and chemical tankers. Closely comparable to Socatra in vessel size class (mid-size tankers) and oil/chemical product mix.
- DHT Holdings: Bermuda-based pure-play crude oil tanker operator with VLCCs. Comparable to Socatra in serving oil majors with seaborne crude transport, though at a larger vessel size class.
- Frontline: Norwegian/UK-listed global tanker operator with VLCCs, Suezmaxes, and LR2 tankers. Closely comparable business model to Socatra as an owner-operator serving international oil majors with seaborne crude and product transport.
- Stena Bulk: Swedish family-owned tanker operator with one of the world's largest chemical and product tanker fleets. Comparable to Socatra in mixed oil/chemical tanker operations and family ownership structure.
- International Seaways: US-listed international tanker company operating VLCCs, Suezmaxes, Aframaxes/LR2s, and MRs. Comparable diversified oil tanker owner-operator model to Socatra across multiple vessel classes.
Regional players
- Louis Dreyfus Armateurs: French family-owned shipping company with diversified fleet across bulkers, tankers, and offshore vessels. Comparable to Socatra as a French family-owned shipowner with multi-segment operations and similar governance profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Socatra social profiles
Digital presenceSocatra compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Socatra financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Socatra leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Socatra subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Socatra funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Socatra M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Socatra
What does Socatra do?
Socatra is a French shipowner that operates a fleet of 12 medium and small oil/chemical tankers providing seaborne oil transportation across long-distance, cabotage, regular-line, and tramping routes. The company also runs onshore oil product storage depots on the west coast of France, third-party ship management services, and Seine river tourism operations through its Vedettes de Paris subsidiary.
Is Socatra a public or private company?
Socatra is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Socatra founded?
Socatra was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Socatra based?
Socatra is headquartered in Bordeaux, France, in the Europe region.
How does Socatra make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Oil Transport Services are the primary driver. The others are oil Storage/Depot Services, tourism Operations and third-Party Ship Management.
Who are Socatra's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Euronav, Hafnia, Torm, Scorpio Tankers, Ardmore Shipping, DHT Holdings, Frontline, Stena Bulk and International Seaways. Louis Dreyfus Armateurs is listed as a regional player.
Does Socatra have an API?
No public API is recorded for Socatra.