What Star Oil Group does

Star Oil Group is a privately held petroleum products distribution company controlled by African shareholders, headquartered in Nouakchott, Mauritania, and operating across eight West and Central African countries (Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Gambia, and Chad). The company distributes petroleum fuels (diesel, premium petrol, kerosene, Jet A1 aviation fuel, and heavy fuel oil), domestic LPG (butane in 25kg, 12.5kg and 6kg cylinders), lubricants sourced from partners BP, ELF, and TotalEnergies, and grade 50/70 bitumen. Its distribution channels comprise an owned network of 500+ service stations positioned along main regional roads and major cities, direct B2B site delivery to mining, construction, and industrial customers, and aviation fuel supply at seven regional airports where it holds a leadership position at the majority.

The business model is sales-led and asset-intensive: a transaction-fee revenue model captures thin per-litre margins across high-volume fuel throughput (stated annual volumes of 900KT+) supplemented by higher-margin adjacencies such as aviation fuel, lubricants technical services, fleet-management cards (Easy Card), and station-based retail (shops, restaurants, vehicle maintenance). The group has grown primarily through acquisition, taking control of Mobil Oil Mali in 2004 and subsequently acquiring TotalEnergies' Niger (2022) and Chad (2023) subsidiaries, the OMEGA network in Senegal (2023), and the DOCI network in Côte d'Ivoire (2024), in addition to organic subsidiary creation across multiple markets. It supports B2B customers including long-tenured mining accounts such as MIFERMA/SNIM (since 1964), Energie du Mali, and a roster of commercial airlines at its aviation depots.

Star Oil's customer segments span Retail/Individual Consumers (service station fuel and LPG), Mining and Industrial (bulk fuel, lubricants, technical audits and lubrication planning), Aviation (Jet A1 at seven airports), and Construction/Infrastructure (bitumen). The company employs 400+ direct staff, sources product through trading partners Trafigura and KemOil SA, and is positioned as one of the few African-majority owned integrated petroleum distribution platforms in the sub-region with the stated strategic intent of continued cross-border acquisition-led expansion.

Name

Star Oil Group

Legal name

Star Oil Group

Website

https://staroilgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Star Oil Group is an African-controlled petroleum distributor that sells fuels, Jet A1 aviation fuel, lubricants, LPG, and bitumen through 500+ owned service stations, direct B2B delivery, and seven West and Central African airport depots across eight countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Petroleum Products Distribution

NAICS

Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals (424710), Fuel Dealers (4572), Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers (457)

SIC

Wholesale-Petroleum Bulk Stations & Terminals (5171), Wholesale-Petroleum & Petroleum Products (No Bulk Stations) (5172)

akta.pro primary industry

Aviation Fuel Marketing (Into-Plane, Airport Fueling) (EUALAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial & Fleet Fueling (Cardlock, On-Site Tanks, Bulk Delivery) (EUALAIAD), Convenience Retail & Foodservice at Forecourts (C-Store/QSR) (EUALAIAE), Branded Fuels Wholesaling & Jobber Distribution (EUALAIAB)

Keywords

• Petroleum products distribution
• Aviation fuel supply
• Service station network
• Lubricants distribution
• LPG domestic gas

Headquarters

HQ city

Nouakchott

HQ country

Mauritania

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Fuel Distribution: Sale of fuels (diesel, petrol, Jet A1, paraffin, heating oil) through network of 500+ service stations to general public and B2B customers
2. Aviation Fuel: Jet A1 fuel distribution at 7 airports across West Africa; leader in majority of these markets
3. Industrial and Mining B2B: Direct B2B sales to mining companies, construction firms, public administrations, and industrial facilities with site delivery
4. Lubricants: Distribution of lubricants from partners BP, ELF, TotalEnergies for engines, hydraulics, gears, compressors
5. Domestic Gas (LPG): LPG (butane gas) packaged in 25Kg, 12.5Kg and 6 cylinders for domestic use
6. Bitumen: Distribution of grade 50/70 bitumen for construction and road building

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Star Oil Group imports and distributes petroleum products — automotive fuels (diesel/gasoil, premium petrol), Jet A1 aviation fuel, paraffin, heavy fuel oil, LPG (butane gas in cylinders), lubricants, and grade 50/70 bitumen — across 8 West and Central African countries through 500+ company-owned service stations and direct B2B delivery to mining, industrial, construction, and aviation customers. The group operates aviation fuel depots at 7 sub-regional airports and is market leader in aviation fuel at the majority of those airports.

Product overview

Star Oil Group is a petroleum import and distribution company operating across sub-Saharan Africa through a network of 500+ service stations in 8 countries. Its core product portfolio centres on petroleum fuels (Jet A1 aviation fuel, diesel/gasoil, premium petrol, kerosene/paraffin, and heavy fuel oil), supplemented by LPG (butane gas in cylinders), and lubricants sourced from BP, ELF, and TotalEnergies. The group also distributes bitumen (grade 50/70) and operates B2B supply and technical services for mining and industrial customers. Adjacent offerings include petroleum fuel cards (Easy Card) for fleet and personal fuel budget management, vehicle maintenance services (free oil changes, safety checks, wash bays), and convenience shops and restaurants at select stations. Distribution is channelled through company-owned and -operated service stations, direct industrial supply, and aviation depot operations at key regional airports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Star Oil Tchad: Chad subsidiary distributing petroleum products with 20 service stations in N'Djaména, Sarh, Moundou, Bongor and Mongo, aiming for 34 stations by 2028.
• Star Oil Gambia
• Star Oil Mali
• Star Oil Niger
• Star Oil Guinea (Star Oil Guinée)

Products and services

• Jet A1 Aviation Fuel Kerosene-type jet fuel suitable for civil and military jet aircraft, helicopters with turbine engines, turboprop aircraft, and compression-ignition piston-engine aircraft. Distributed to commercial airlines and military aviation operators.
• Fuels (Carburants) Distribution of diesel (gasoil), premium petrol (essence super), kerosene (paraffin), and heavy fuel oil — compliant with official technical specifications. Sold through the service station network to retail consumers and through direct B2B delivery to industrial customers.
• Domestic Gas (LPG / Butane) LPG (butane gas) packaged in 25 kg, 12.5 kg, and 6 kg cylinders for domestic cooking and heating use. Distributed through service stations and promoted as an alternative energy source.
• Lubricants Distribution of engine, hydraulic, gear, compressor, and general-lubrication products from partners BP, ELF, and TotalEnergies for multiple industrial and automotive applications.
• Bitumen Grade 50/70 Distribution of grade 50/70 bitumen per official technical specifications for road construction and infrastructure; supplied in self-heating containers in the Mali market.
• Aviation Depot Operations and Into-Plane Refuelling Aircraft refuelling operations at airports, including storage and hydrant systems. Star Oil Group operates aviation depots at 7 airports across West and Central Africa (Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Niger, Chad).
• B2B Mining and Industrial Fuel Supply Services Direct B2B fuel and lubricant supply, plus technical services, to mining, construction, public works, public administrations, power generators, and industrial operators. Includes safe site delivery, technical site audits, lubrication plans, and petroleum process optimization advice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Leader in aviation fuel at majority of 7 airports where operations exist
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and strategic.

• TrafiguracoreOthersMajor trading partner for petroleum product imports and trading activities. Trafigura is one of the world's leading commodity trading companies.
• KemOil SAcoreOthersTrading partner for petroleum product imports and trading operations.
• TotalEnergiescoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner for lubricants distribution (TotalEnergies-branded products); acquired TotalEnergies subsidiaries in Niger (May 2022) and Chad (November 2023)
• British Petroleum (BP)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner for lubricants distribution (BP-branded products); historical origin traces to first BP station in Mauritania in 1957
• ELF (TotalEnergies)supportingTechnology or IntegrationLubricants distribution partner providing ELF-branded lubricant products
• Turkish AirlinesstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAviation fuel customer; discussions in October 2024 to develop JET refueling collaboration across 7 airports where Star Oil is active (Nouakchott, Bamako, Conakry, Dakar, Banjul, Niamey, N'Djamena)
• L'AmandinesupportingOthersRestaurant partner at Star Oil Chad stations (Sabangali and Double-Voies locations) providing food service for customers

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Puma Energy: Global mid/downstream petroleum distributor with significant African footprint in retail service stations, B2B supply, aviation fueling, and bitumen/lubricants. Closely comparable multi-product, multi-country model.
• Vivo Energy: Pan-African downstream fuel retailer and Shell licensee operating service stations and B2B fuel supply across more than 20 African countries including several overlapping markets (Mali, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire). Most direct comparable in scope and business model.
• Oando PLC: Nigerian integrated energy group with downstream fuel distribution, service stations, lubricants and aviation fuel operations in West Africa. Comparable African downstream platform with multi-country ambitions.
• Sahara Group: African energy conglomerate active in downstream petroleum marketing, LPG distribution, and trading across West and East Africa with growing retail presence. Comparable diversified downstream model.
• African Petroleum PLC: West African downstream fuel retailer operating service stations in Senegal, Gambia and other regional markets; direct overlap with Star Oil's retail footprint and product mix.
• TotalEnergies Marketing Afrique: Downstream marketing arm of TotalEnergies in Africa operating service station networks, lubricants and aviation fuel across West and Central Africa. Direct competitor, and former parent of two subsidiaries acquired by Star Oil (Niger 2022, Chad 2023).

Others

• Société Africaine de Raffinage (SAR): Senegalese petroleum refinery that supplies refined products into the West African market, including to downstream distributors like Star Oil via Senegal subsidiary. Adjacent upstream/industry participant and potential supplier.
• Trafigura (downstream trading): Global commodity trader and named core supply partner of Star Oil Group for petroleum imports. Comparable as ecosystem participant enabling cross-border African fuel flows.

Broad incumbents

• Engen Petroleum: African-focused downstream fuel and lubricants company (former BP subsidiary) operating across Southern and select West African markets with service stations, aviation and B2B supply. Broader incumbent with overlapping product portfolio.
• Galp (Africa segment): Portuguese energy major with selective African downstream presence including lubricants and aviation fuel. Broader incumbent with overlapping specialty fuel offerings in select West African markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@StarOilGroup
• Xx.com/StarOilGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/star-oil-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries11 records

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 Star Oil Group