Last modified: 2019-07-12 by 
klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: oeltrans | soetje | tankfracht |
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![[Oeltrans AG]](../images/d/de~oltr.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec, 10 Sep 2006
See also:
Another German firm about which little is known, but as they have a flag... To begin with, I am not certain whether this firm is a subsidiary of the Swiss Oeltrans AG (or "oeltrans") at Interlaken, as the logo and company colours are quite different. And the name is a rather general one ('oiltrans').
In any case there is an "Oeltrans Befrachtungsgesellschaft (freighting company) mbH" in Hamburg maintaining a modest, but obsolete, web presence at: http://www.oeltrans.de/deutsch1.htm.
With three other firms (Tankfracht, Max Sötje, and QS-Management), Oeltrans operates 64 tanker vessels active in Germany, the Netherlands, and the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp harbour area. Various kinds of mineral oil are shipped.
The logo on above website is also found on a flag, offered on German eBay (end date 9 June 2006, item no. 6286196904). On the lower half of a green field is placed the company logo consisting of the name in white lower case letters, the 'e' of which is surrounded by a black ring (name of font unknown to me).
Jan Mertens, 2 July 2006
Oeltrans was established in 1971 in Hamburg by Johann H. und Stefan Gerken. In 2001 the company acquired 90% of the shares of Tankfracht Werner Kortmann GmbH. The business of Oeltrans was all kinds of tanker shipping and the fleet increased up to 80 vessels. In 2011 the company went into bankruptcy.
Source: information provided by Klaus-Peter Bühne by email
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019
![[Max Sötje]](../images/d/de~msot.gif)
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2009
Max Sötje Tankschiffahrt GmbH - Together with QS-Management and Tankfracht GmbH the company belongs to Oeltrans-Befrachtungsgesellschaft mbH and is located in Moers.
It is a plain dark blue flag with a white "S" in its centre, which is very similar to the logo of Columbian singer Shakira Mebarak (whose play is sometimes even more exciting than that of the "Mannschaft".).
Source: I spotted this flag at Alsterarkaden/Hamburg on 20 February 2009.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 10 May 2009
Sötje was established in 1885 by Henri Sötje in Hamburg. The business was tanker shipping. Since 1887 the company operated small tug boats and crude oil barges in the harbour of Hamburg. In 1965 Max Sötje, son and successor of Henri Sötje became chairman of the company. In 1967 there were the 1st mergers of smaller tugboat companies as "Vereinigte Schlepp-Reedereien GmbH". On 1 January 1969 more companies joined and the "Schleppkontor GmbH & Co. KG" was established. Within this alliance Sötje was one of the biggest companies and Sötje became its 1st chairman. In 1971 he resigned and left the alliance. The alliance ran 33 tugboats. The two biggest, the Sötje tugboats MONSUN and MISTRAL, had been mostly chartered out abroad.
Since 1971 Max Sötje concentrated his efforts to inland tanker shipping. In 1978 his company was sold to "Tankfracht Walter Kortmann GmbH" and the brand disappeared from the market. When Kortmann sold his company to "Oeltrans GmbH" in 2001, the brand had a revival as "Max Sötje Tankschiffahrt". The company was led from Moers, in Hamburg-Hamm-Süd there had been a branch office. In 2008 the company had more than 20 tankers, all registered in Marktheidenfeld. In 2010 a new office was established in Duisburg. The fleet increased to 31 vesssels. But in 2011 the company disappeared again due to the bankruptcy of Oeltrans.
Source: information provided by Klaus-Peter Bühne by email
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019
![[Tankfracht housefal]](../images/d/de~tafr.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec, 14 Sep 2006
The flag is dark blue, in an orange centrede reczangle is a dark blue lower case "t".
Known as Tankfracht Werner Kortmann GmbH ("tankfreight"), this Hamburg based firm shows its "full name" logo .
Besides this modest web presence, we find the Dutch office "Oeltrans Tankfracht BV" at Papendrecht.
A note on the company founder (in Dutch) is (dated 31 Aug. 2004): saying that Mr. Werner Kortmann, almost 66, has died suddenly. He was no longer active and had a good reputation among tanker bargemen, private and otherwise.
Now the lowercase "t" Rather purple than blue, the logo bears a yellow parallelogram, on which is placed a purple stylized lowercase initial "t". On the other hand the houseflag on the photo (at Vlootschouw) is rather blue than purple.
Sources: obsolete company website and obsolete subpages of De Binnenvaart Vlootschouw
Jan Mertens, 12 Sep 2006 and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019
Tankfracht was established in 1974 by Werner Kortmann, who acquired Max Sötje in 1978. He sold 90% of his shares to Oeltrans in 2001 but remained director of his company until 2002. Golfing, he died in 2004, shortly after he had resigned completely.
Source: information provided by Klaus-Peter Bühne by email
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 July 2019