Octan is a fictitious super corporation that started as a gas station brand that frequently appears in LEGO sets and media of various themes. It was introduced in 1992. Before this time, Shell, Exxon and Esso were the common gasoline brands featured in LEGO sets. Octan also appears in DUPLO, 4 Juniors, Model Team and TECHNIC sets, in addition to traditional System models, and makes appearances in LEGO video games, such as the LEGO Island, LEGO City Undercover, and LEGO DC Super-Villains. In The LEGO Movie, it appears very frequently because its owner, President Business, is the movie's primary antagonist.
Octan was designed by Torben Skov and first appeared in two LEGO System sets from 1992: a gas station (6397 Gas N' Wash Express) and a tanker truck (6594 Gas Transit). In the following year the Octan logo appeared also in racing themed sets and on a rail tanker. 1994 brought the first appearances of Octan outside of System, in a DUPLO set, 2621 Motocross Racer, and an alternative model of the TECHNIC set 8880 Super Car. Both were racing vehicles sponsored by Octan. The word "Octan" is a play on the name of the chemical octane, which is the core component of gasoline.
Since its introduction, Octan regularly reappeared as the only gasoline brand seen in LEGO releases, except some Shell promotional sets from 1999.
Octan remains the primary sponsor for the Moose Jaw Octan Oilers of the LEGO Major Junior Hockey League.
In 2009, the name Octan Energy appeared on the wind turbine found in 7747 Wind Turbine Transport which reveals that the company has expanded from petrochemical fuels into renewable energy.
In 2012, LEGO released a new Octan tanker set where the "Energy" part of the logo was even bigger than the main Octan symbol itself, suggesting that the company might be trying to 'go green'.
In The LEGO Movie, Octan is a large corporation which creates a large number of products and technology in the universe. President Business is the president of the company and the world.
In the LEGO universe, Octan also appears as a sponsor for various racing events and as such its logo was featured prominently on race tracks and vehicles and also appears on race team clothes and Octan staff clothes as well.
The Skull Twins from the 2009Space Police III theme have octan printed on their uniforms, which hints the Octan Corporation may have some involvement with criminal activity within the universe of LEGO (or at least within the universe Space Police is set).
The name is a pun on octane, which is a gasoline rating system, and a hydrocarbon in real life with the molecular formula C8H18.
Internet users found several real-life Octan gas stations in Russia, their owner is unknown.[1]
