ICS - International Cargo Surveyors

What ICS - International Cargo Surveyors does

ICS - International Cargo Surveyors S.r.l. is an Italian private limited company founded on October 28, 1980, in Augusta, Italy, and currently headquartered in Siracusa with a registered office in Milano. The company specializes in independent cargo inspection and quality control services for the petroleum, petrochemical, and dry bulk sectors, operating as a field-based professional services firm with surveyor presence in ports across 35+ countries spanning Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.

The core service portfolio centers on quantitative and qualitative inspection of bulk oil cargoes — including crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals — supplemented by service modules such as average adjustment, technical consultancy, pipeline transfer monitoring, stock control and production evaluation, sampling, tank calibration, and draft surveys on dry bulk cargoes. The company has also expanded into adjacent inspection verticals including industrial products and metallurgical services, diving services, and petroleum platforms and oil rigs inspection. Since 1997, ICS has maintained ISO 9001 certification for its Quality Management System, and operates as part of ICS Group alongside ICS Capital (Investment Capital Solution) and ONE-POT (Clean Fuel & Green Chemicals).

The business model is a sales-led, professional services model with quote-based, contract-driven pricing customized to client needs. Customers include major oil & gas companies (procurement, refining, and trading departments), government entities such as the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DESC/USA) and the Italian Navy, primary insurance companies, international ship-owning companies, and commodity brokerage operators. Services are delivered through a direct, port-based field service model rather than via digital channels, and marketing is primarily institutional and referral-based. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company is privately held as an Italian S.r.l. with 51-100 employees.

Name

ICS - International Cargo Surveyors

Legal name

ICS - International Cargo Surveyors S.r.l.

Website

https://icsurvey.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ICS - International Cargo Surveyors is an Italian independent inspection firm providing quantitative and qualitative cargo inspection, quality control, and surveying services for petroleum, petrochemical, and dry bulk cargoes to oil majors, governments, insurers, and ship-owners across 35+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Cargo Inspection Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)

akta.pro primary industry

Cargo Surveying, Tallying & Damage Control (Terminal Inspection Support) (TLAHALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cargo Claims Management & Loss Prevention (Survey, Recovery, Subrogation Support) (TLACAHAH)

Keywords

• Cargo inspection services
• Petroleum cargo surveying
• Bulk oil quality control
• Draft survey services
• Petrochemical inspection

Headquarters

HQ city

Siracusa

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cargo Inspection and Surveying Services: Professional inspection and surveying services for bulk oil cargoes including quantity control, quality assessment, and compliance verification. Services include average adjustment, technical expertise, consultancy, pipeline transfer monitoring, stock control, production evaluation, sampling, tank calibration, and draft surveys on dry bulk cargoes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

ICS - International Cargo Surveyors provides independent third-party inspection and surveying services for bulk oil cargoes (crude oil, petroleum products, petrochemicals) at ports worldwide. In addition to core bulk cargoes quantity & quality control, the company delivers industrial products and metallurgical inspection, diving survey services, and inspection of petroleum platforms and oil rigs, supported by services such as average adjustment, technical consultancy, pipeline transfer monitoring, stock control and production evaluation, sampling, tank calibration, and draft survey on dry bulk cargoes. The company operates an ISO 9001 certified Quality Management System maintained since 1997 and serves clients in 35+ countries.

Product overview

ICS - International Cargo Surveyors is an Italian company operating in the petroleum and petrochemical sector for over 40 years, offering a comprehensive suite of cargo inspection and quality control services. The core offering centers on bulk oil cargo surveying, supplemented by specialized services including industrial products and metallurgical services, diving services, and petroleum platforms and oil rigs inspection. The portfolio also includes supporting service modules such as average adjustment, technical consultancy, pipeline transfer monitoring, stock control and production evaluation, specific sampling, tank calibration, and draft surveys on dry bulk cargoes. The services are delivered globally across major maritime ports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulk Cargoes Quantity & Quality Control Independent quantitative and qualitative inspection of bulk cargoes including crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals, performed by ICS surveyors at load and discharge ports worldwide. Targeted at major oil & gas companies (procurement, refining, trading), defense logistics buyers, insurers, and ship-owners needing third-party verification of cargo quantity and quality.
• Industrial Products & Metallurgical Services Specialized inspection and surveying services covering industrial products and metallurgical operations. Targeted at industrial and metallurgical clients requiring independent verification of goods and processes.
• Diving Services Underwater inspection and survey services supporting maritime and offshore operations such as hull and underwater structural assessment. Targeted at ship-owning companies and offshore operators.
• Petroleum Platforms & Oil Rigs Inspection Inspection and quality assessment services for petroleum platforms and oil rigs. Targeted at upstream oil & gas operators and offshore asset owners requiring independent verification of platform/rig conditions.
• Draft Survey on Dry Bulk Cargoes Draft survey services performed on vessels carrying dry bulk cargoes to determine loaded or discharged quantities based on vessel displacement measurements. Targeted at international ship-owning companies and charterers requiring independent quantity verification.
• Technical Expertise & Consultancy Technical consultancy services for the petroleum and petrochemical sector, drawing on ICS's inspection expertise to advise clients on cargo, quality, and operational matters. Targeted at oil & gas, insurance, and shipping clients needing expert technical input.
• Tank Calibration Tank calibration services providing accurate volumetric measurement of storage tanks for compliance and inventory purposes. Targeted at oil & gas terminals, refineries, and storage operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Services performed across 35+ countries in primary maritime traffic areas
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICS GroupcoreOthersICS - International Cargo Surveyors is part of ICS Group, a diversified set of companies focused on innovation, research and development. Group includes ICS Group, ICS Capital (Investment Capital Solution), and ONE-POT (Clean Fuel & Green Chemicals).
• ICS CapitalminorOthersPart of ICS Group - Investment Capital Solution entity within the corporate group structure.
• ONE-POTminorOthersPart of ICS Group - Clean Fuel & Green Chemicals initiative within the corporate group.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: UK-headquartered TIC company providing cargo inspection and analytical testing for crude oil, petroleum products, and petrochemicals. Competes with ICS for the same major oil company, trading house, and shipping client base across a global port network.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC firm with oil & petroleum products commodity inspection services including pre-shipment inspection, quantity determination, and quality testing. Same independent third-party cargo inspection positioning as ICS, with broader vertical breadth across marine, industry, and commodities.
• TUV SUD: International TIC firm offering commodity inspection and testing for the oil & gas and petrochemical sectors alongside its broader certification portfolio. Comparable cargo and asset inspection capabilities for oil & gas industry clients.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) company with a dedicated oil, gas, and chemicals service line offering crude oil and petroleum product cargo inspection, quantity/quality surveys, and trade inspection services. Directly comparable to ICS in cargo surveying scope, but operates on a much larger global scale.
• DNV: Norwegian-headquartered classification and assurance society with energy/oil & gas inspection services and maritime advisory. Competes with ICS for oil rig/platform inspection, marine cargo verification, and technical consultancy in the Mediterranean and European theater.

Direct peers

• Saybolt (SGS): Specialist bulk liquid cargo inspection and laboratory services brand within SGS, providing independent inspection of crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals. Near-identical service offering to ICS including draft surveys and bunker surveys.
• Inspectorate (Bureau Veritas): Specialist brand under Bureau Veritas focused exclusively on commodity inspection, including oil and gas cargoes. Direct overlap with ICS in third-party cargo surveying, sampling, and quantity/quality reporting services at global ports.
• RINA: Italian-headquartered maritime classification and inspection society offering marine surveying, oil & gas services, and certification across the Mediterranean. Culturally and geographically adjacent competitor based in Italy that serves overlapping petroleum cargo and shipping customers in the same region.
• Cotecna: Geneva-based inspection and testing firm with a dedicated Oil, Gas & Energy division providing cargo inspection, quantity and quality determination for petroleum and petrochemical trades. Closely aligned mid-sized specialist competing for the same independent inspection mandates as ICS.

Emerging players

• Petrolvalves (BVI): Specialist inspection services provider focused on the energy and petroleum industry, including custody transfer inspection and cargo measurement. Comparable niche specialist competing with ICS for petroleum cargo inspection contracts at Mediterranean and European ports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ics-international-cargo-surveyors

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICS - International Cargo Surveyors