Sonol

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Israeli fuel and gas station chain

title: "Sonol" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["energy-companies-established-in-1913", "filling-stations-in-israel", "oil-and-gas-companies-of-israel", "companies-based-in-netanya", "non-renewable-resource-companies-established-in-1913", "israeli-brands", "retail-companies-established-in-1913", "1913-establishments-in-the-ottoman-empire"] description: "Israeli fuel and gas station chain" topic_path: "geography/israel" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonol" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Israeli fuel and gas station chain ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameSonol Israel Ltd.
logoSonol logo.png
typePrivate
predecessorSocony Mobil Israel
foundation
defunct
location_cityNetanya
location_countryIsrael
key_peopleNir Galili (CEO)
productsRefined fuel
parentGranite Hacarmel Investments Ltd.
homepage
::

| name = Sonol Israel Ltd. | logo = Sonol logo.png | caption = | type = Private | traded_as = | fate = | predecessor = Socony Mobil Israel | successor = | foundation = | founder = | defunct = | location_city = Netanya | location_country = Israel | locations = | area_served = | key_people = Nir Galili (CEO) | industry = | products = Refined fuel | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = Granite Hacarmel Investments Ltd. | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = | footnotes = | intl =

Sonol Israel or Sonol (), is an Israeli fuel provider and the country's third largest gas station chain. The company traces its roots back to 1917 and World War I. Sonol has been indirectly controlled by the Azrieli Group since 2006.

History

1913–1947

The Standard Oil Company of New York (Socony) began oil exploration operations in Ottoman Palestine in 1913. It had been granted concessions by the Ottoman government to conduct geological surveys in order to ascertain whether oil was in existence in commercial quantities. Preparations to drill at a concession in the Negev – southern present-day Israel – were halted in 1915 due to World War I. After the war, when the territory of Palestine came under British administration, Socony complained to the U.S. State Department that the British government was refusing to allow the company to carry out research at its concessions. The State Department interceded with the British on Socony's behalf, and in December 1922 Socony completed its surveys. The surveys indicated that oil was not available in commercial quantities, after which Socony abandoned its concessionary claims and joined the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC) in 1928.

Vacuum Oil Company began operating mechanical gas pumps in 1924. In 1931, Socony and Vacuum merged to form Socony-Vacuum Oil Company. By the 1940s, various transnational oil companies were operating in Mandatory Palestine, including IPC, Shell and Socony-Vacuum. IPC owned terminal facilities of the Kirkuk–Haifa pipeline; Shell jointly controlled the Haifa oil refinery with British Petroleum; and Socony-Vacuum maintained a local distributing agency accounting for 25–30% of the local oil market.

1948–1999

In the late 1940s, around the time Israel gained its independence, Socony-Vacuum made its pumps electric motor-driven. Saudi pressure in 1956 compelled Socony-Vacuum – which theretofore had been one of Israel's principal oil suppliers and which a year earlier had changed its name to Socony Mobil – to terminate its relationship with Israel and sell its interests there. In 1957 Socony Mobil's Israel operations were acquired by Rudolf Sonneborn and Sonol became the name of the company.

Sonol acquired gas distribution company Supergas in 1975. In 1981 Sonol was acquired by Granite Hacarmel Investments Ltd., one of the largest holding companies in Israel. In 1990 Sonol acquired car battery manufacturer Vulcan from Koor Industries Ltd for $2 million.

Since 2000

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/DelekSonol.jpg" caption="Sonol gas station near [[Kfar Adumim" alt="Sonol gas station"] ::

Vulcan was sold in 2000 to Focus Capital Group Ltd. Sonol announced the establishment of its own chain of gas station convenience stores in 2004, following a similar trend set by rivals Paz, Delek and Dor Alon. By 2010 it was operating 140 such stores under the brand So Good.

In September 2005 Granite Hacarmel agreed to sell Sonol's 210 gas stations and other Granite-held assets to Dor Alon for $155 million. The Antitrust Authority opposed the deal and in April 2006 filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. In June 2006 the Supreme Court ruled to suspend the Sonol deal. In October 2010 Azrieli Group acquired 54% of Granite for $148 million and in December increased its stake to 63.8% for an additional NIS109.2 million.

In 2011 Sonol was one of four companies that together controlled 90% of the Israeli fuel market. In March Sonol and Better Place signed an agreement to deploy electric car battery recharging terminals at Sonol's gas stations. In October Sonol stations began offering gas containing an additive produced by Lubrizol Corporation shown in one study to reduce fumes and carbon dioxide emissions.

Notable tender wins

In February 2004 Sonol, together with a foreign partner, won a tender to supply refined fuel to U.S. forces in Iraq for $70–80 million. In August 2004 Sonol won a tender to supply crude oil, diesel and gasoline to Dead Sea Works for five years for $300 million.

Israel's jet fuel market was opened up to competition in mid-1996. In January 2008 Sonol outbid three competitors to secure a tender to supply jet fuel to seven Star Alliance airlines for NIS300–400 million. The two-year contract was renewed in December 2009 for $60 million.

In January 2012 Sonol won one of the largest-ever fuel tenders in Israel to supply diesel to Israel Railways in the central and southern regions of the country for three years.

Philanthropy

Sonol launched a nationwide campaign with the JDRF in 2005 to raise donations to help young sufferers of diabetes and further medical research. In 2007 Sonol launched a nationwide campaign to raise money for the nonprofit organization Larger Than Life, which strives to improve the lives of children and teenagers with cancer.

Criticism

Involvement in Israeli settlements

On 12 February 2020, the United Nations published a database of companies doing business related in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Golan Heights. Sonol was listed on the database on account of its activities in Israeli settlements in these occupied territories, which are considered illegal under international law.

References

References

  1. Hazani, Golan. (10 June 2011). "Azrieli's Granit on market for NIS 400M". [[Ynetnews]].
  2. "Ownership Structure and Strategy". Sonol.
  3. Davison, Roderic H.. (1977). "With Eyes Toward Zion: Scholars Colloquium on America–Holy Land Studies". Arno Press.
  4. (March 2020). "The Land That Oil Forgot: Palestine 1913-1948". GeoExpro.
  5. "History of Oil & Gas Exploration in Israel - 1900 to 2004". Zion Oil & Gas Inc..
  6. Davidson, Lawrence. (2001). "America's Palestine:Popular and Official Perceptions from Balfour to Statehood". [[University Press of Florida]].
  7. (7 April 1922). "Britain Concedes on Palestine Oil". [[The New York Times]].
  8. (8 April 1922). "Britain Grants Exploring Rights to Standard Oil". [[The Montreal Gazette]].
  9. Lockman, Zachary. (1996). "Comrades and Enemies: Arab and Jewish Workers in Palestine, 1906–1948". [[University of California Press]].
  10. Demir, Idris. (2010). "The Kirkuk–Haifa Pipeline". [[International Strategic Research Organization]] (USAK).
  11. (2 August 1957). "Fear Decision of Oil Firms To Leave Israel Due To Arab Pressure Reflects British Policy Change". [[Canadian Jewish Review.
  12. DeNovo, John A.. (1968). "American Interests and Politics in the Middle East, 1900–1939". [[University of Minnesota Press]].
  13. Cohn, Margit. (2010). "Energy Law in Israel". [[Kluwer Law International]].
  14. Levin, Itamar. (7 September 2005). "סונול: ממלחמת העולם הראשונה ועד לדלק סילוני". [[Globes (newspaper).
  15. Bar-Eli, Avi. (25 April 2008). "מנכ"ל סונול, תמיר פוליקר: 'שוק הדלק מונופוליסטי לחלוטין'". [[TheMarker]].
  16. Lotto, Jack. (2 March 1957). "U.S. Firms' Boycott of Israel Under Arab Pressure Revealed". [[St. Petersburg Times]].
  17. Railsback, Bruce. (April 2002). "A Genealogy of the Oil Industry". [[University of Georgia]].
  18. Hadar, Tomer. (23 August 2010). "פרסום ראשון: ניר גלילי מתמודד על משרת מנכ"ל סונול". [[Calcalist]].
  19. (17 January 1990). "Sonol buys Vulcan Batteries from Koor". ICEN (Israel Commercial Economic Newsletter).
  20. Ganor, Avi. (1 August 2000). "וולקן מצברים הבורסאית בקשיים: הפסד של 6 מיליון שקל במחצית ופיטורי עובדים". [[Globes (newspaper).
  21. Sharon-Rivlin, Vered. (5 July 2004). "סונול תקים רשת חנויות נוחות בתחנות דלק תחת השם SO GOOD". [[Globes (newspaper).
  22. Blumenkrantz, Zohar. (30 December 2009). "חברת סונול תספק דלק לשבע חברות תעופה ב-60 מיליון דולר". [[TheMarker]].
  23. Klingbail, Sivan. (8 September 2005). "Dor Alon buys Sonol gas station chain". [[Haaretz]].
  24. Dekalo, Shmuel. (27 April 2006). "Supreme Court delays Dor Alon-Sonol merger". [[Globes (newspaper).
  25. (16 June 2006). "Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Dor Alon-Sonol Merger". [[Arutz Sheva]].
  26. Coren, Ora. (29 October 2006). "Azrieli buying Granite Hacarmel". [[Haaretz]].
  27. Shlomo, Gil. (23 November 2006). "Antitrust Authority OKs Azrieli takeover of Granite Hacarmel". [[Globes (newspaper).
  28. Shuster, Uri. (13 December 2006). "Azrieli buys further 10 percent of Granite Hacarmel: David Azrieli bought the stake from Yeshayahu Landau with whom he competed for the controlling interest in Granite Hacarmel". [[Globes (newspaper).
  29. Barkat, Amiram. (6 October 2011). "Privatization has cost Israelis dear". [[Globes (newspaper).
  30. (1 March 2011). "Better Place signs Sonol battery replacement station deal". [[Globes (newspaper).
  31. Barkat, Amiram. (4 October 2011). "Sonol fires 300 in response to fuel margin cut". [[Globes (newspaper).
  32. Bar-Eli, Avi. (4 October 2011). "Sonol CEO, at launch of new fuel: Competition has reached gasoline". [[Haaretz]].
  33. (24 February 2004). "Israeli Company to Supply Fuel to US Army in Iraq". [[Arutz Sheva]].
  34. Cohen, Amiram. (8 March 2004). "Sonol pumps fuel to U.S. forces in Iraq". [[Haaretz]].
  35. Hayoun, David. (18 August 2004). "Sonol wins 5-year $300m Dead Sea Works fuel tender". [[Globes (newspaper).
  36. Hayoun, David. (28 January 1998). "Paz Wins El Al Jet Fuel Tender". [[Globes (newspaper).
  37. Baron, Lior. (28 January 2008). "Sonol wins foreign airlines fuel tender". [[Globes (newspaper).
  38. Schmil, Daniel. (19 January 2012). "סונול ודור אלון זכו במכרז: יספקו לרכבת 5 מיליון ליטר דלק בחודש". [[TheMarker]].
  39. (5 October 2005). "סונול משיקה מבצע התרמה לחולי סוכרת נעורים". [[Ynet]].
  40. (18 February 2007). "סונול משיקה מבצע התרמה למען 'גדולים מהחיים'". [[Ynet]].
  41. (12 Feb 2020). "Database of all business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (A/HRC/43/71)". UN OCHA.
  42. (12 February 2020). "UN rights office issues report on business activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory". [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]].
  43. (23 December 2016). "S/RES/2334(2016)". [[United Nations Security Council]].

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energy-companies-established-in-1913filling-stations-in-israeloil-and-gas-companies-of-israelcompanies-based-in-netanyanon-renewable-resource-companies-established-in-1913israeli-brandsretail-companies-established-in-19131913-establishments-in-the-ottoman-empire