Oil Companies

Quick Guide: How to Find Crude Oil Companies?

The international petroleum industry consists of a number of very different oil companies. But the business is mainly controlled by a relatively small number of companies. Learn more in this quick guide.

What is Crude Oil?

Crude oil is a very complex mixture of a large number of chemical compounds. Crude oil can be thin (light) to tough (heavy), depending on the composition. Hydrocarbons are the main constituent of crude oil, the most important being alkanes, naphthenes and aromatic compounds.

What is Crude Oil used for?

Petroleum is primarily associated with various forms of fuel, but substances derived from petroleum are included as intermediate and end products in a large number of industries, and it is currently difficult to find products where petroleum is not included in one form or another. Most of the industry’s energy needs are covered by oil and gas, and petroleum products are key auxiliaries (such as lubricants).

Oil companies
Oil Companies

Of the many main types within each group, there are a large number of isomeric compounds. Crude oils consist of most carbon and some hydrogen. In addition to the pure hydrocarbons, crude oil also contains compounds which include sulfur, oxygen, acids of alkanes and cycloalkanes in the heavier crude oil, nitrogen, vanadium and nickel are included.

Oil Companies

The international oil and gas industry consists of very different oil companies. But the industry is dominated by a relatively small number of companies. These can be divided into the following groups:

State-owned companies in producer countries. In some cases, they play a significant financial and administrative role, but many are also technically and operationally active. Examples of state-owned companies are Equinor, Saudi Aramco, National Iranian Oil Co., Pemex in Mexico, and more. In the United States, there is no such company.

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International Companies

International oil companies. This is traditionally the most influential group in the international petroleum industry. The most important were called “The Majors” or “The Seven Sisters”. These were the companies Shell, Exxon, Mobil, BP, Chevron, Amoco and Texaco, but as of 2013, these companies are divided into the four companies Shell, ExxonMobil, BP (including Amoco) and Chevron (including Texaco). They are involved in all stages of the petroleum industry, they search for and produce petroleum, they transport, refine and market petroleum and petroleum products. They are therefore called integrated companies. They have subsidiaries in most countries, and work closely together in many areas, including through production companies and marketing companies such as Caltex (Chevron). By the early 1970s, these companies controlled 80 percent of all crude oil production, 70 percent of refining capacity and more than half of the world’s tank tonnage.

Where are the Oil Companies located?

Many of the crude oil companies are located in the major oil and gas cities and oil and natural gas capitols such as Stavanger, Norway, Aberdeen, Scotland, Houston, Texas, USA and Perth, Australia. 

Top 5 Biggest Oil Companies in the World

The following list gives the top 5 biggest oil companies in the World (order by revenue):

  • Saudi Aramco
  • Royal Dutch Shell
  • China National Petroleum Corporation
  • BP
  • Exxon Mobil

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Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco is responsible for almost all oil and gas extraction in Saudi Arabia and is the world’s second largest oil producer. Saudi Aramco has the country’s largest refinery in Ras Tanura, which is also the main terminal for petroleum exports. Since the 1980s, the company has expanded its international refining and marketing activities. The company has its own tanker fleet.

Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell is a Dutch British oil company founded in 1907 by a merger of the Dutch company Royal Dutch Oil Company as well as the British company Shell Transport and Trading Company. The name Shell comes from the Samuel family’s business, which in the 1800s imported mussel shells from the Far East. The merged company developed into one of the world’s largest oil companies and also has investments in other energy sources, mining and trade. At the time of the merger, parent companies retained their separate shareholder lists and headquarters.

List of Top 10 Oil Companies in the Subsea Oil and Gas Industry?

Below is the list of top 10 oil companies and firms that are related to the oil and gas category. Click the link to find company profile, jobs and contact details for each company:

  • Petrolia Drilling ASA
    Petrolia Drilling ASA in short: owns and charters drilling vessels for offshore, deepwater oil and gas exploration and development drilling Petrolia Drilling ASA, a Norwegian publicly listed limited company, was established ...
  • BHP Billiton
    BHP Billiton in short: an international oil and gas exploration and production company in australia BHP Billiton is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a predominant upstream ...
  • PetroChina
    PetroChina in short: is the largest oil/gas producer and distributor, playing a dominant role in the oil and gas industry in China PetroChina Company Limited (“PetroChina”) is the largest oil/gas producer ...
  • Devon Energy
    Devon Energy in short: independent oil and gas exploration services and producer Devon Energy is one of the top 10 public independent oil and gas producers based in the United States. ...
  • Landmark Graphics
    Landmark Graphics in short: software, consultancy and engineering for seismic and exploration In 1984, Landmark introduced the first commercial workstation for 3-D seismic interpretation. Since that time, the company has grown ...
  • Anadarko Petroleum
    Anadarko Petroleum in short: one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas exploration and production companies Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) is one of the largest independent oil ...
  • Hercules Offshore
    Hercules Offshore in short: provider of offshore contract drilling, liftboat and inland barge services Hercules Offshore is a leading provider of offshore contract drilling, liftboat and inland barge services with operations ...
  • EMGS AS
    EMGS AS in short: deep electromagnetic (EM) imaging, Electromagnetic Geoservices (EMGS) is the market leader in deep electromagnetic (EM) imaging, a groundbreaking technique that is proving highly effective in the search ...
  • ChevronTexaco
    ChevronTexaco in short: among the world’s largest global energy companies ChevronTexaco Corp. ranks among the world’s largest and most competitive global energy companies. ChevronTexaco Corp is Headquartered in San Francisco, it ...
  • BG Norge
    BG Norge in short: engaged in exploration for and production, transmission, distribution and supply of natural gas leading player in the global energy market, BG Group is a dynamic growing business ...