COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 1311

Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

70companies1880–1996founding years66still active4no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedImperial Oil Limited
1880
FoundedAmoco Corporation
1889
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedDeutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft
1904
FoundedONEOK Inc.
1906
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
FoundedMaxus Energy Corporation
1910
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedPetroFina S.A.
1920
FoundedQuantum Chemical Corporation
1924
FoundedThe Columbia Gas System, Inc.
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedHunt Consolidated, Inc.
1934
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedKoch Industries, Inc.
1942
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedHarbert Corporation
1949
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedPreussag AG
1959
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedNoble Affiliates, Inc.
1969
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
FoundedSeagull Energy Corporation
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
FoundedEnergen Corporation
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1980
EnvironmentSuperfund law makes polluters pay for cleanup.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedQuestar Corporation
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedRepsol S.A.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
1989
EnvironmentThe Exxon Valdez spill reshapes energy and shipping rules.
1990
EnvironmentThe Clean Air Act amendments tighten emissions limits.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedVastar Resources, Inc.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
2010
EnvironmentThe Deepwater Horizon spill triggers sweeping energy rules.
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Imperial Oil Limited →
Active · founded 1880 · Canada
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest producer of crude oil and a leading producer of natural gas.
Imperial Oil Limited →
Active · founded 1880 · Canada
Imperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest producer of crude oil and a leading producer of natural gas.
Amoco Corporation →
Active · founded 1889
Amoco Corporation is active in three main fields within the petroleum, natural gas, and chemical industries:…
Amoco Corporation →
Active · founded 1889
Amoco Corporation is active in three main fields within the petroleum, natural gas, and chemical industries:…
USX Corporation →
Active · founded 1901
USX Corporation is an international diversified energy and steel-manufacturing company.
USX Corporation →
Active · founded 1901
USX Corporation is an international diversified energy and steel-manufacturing company.
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1904 · Germany
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft is one of the top suppliers of petroleum products in the competitively fragmented German…
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1904 · Germany
Deutsche BP Aktiengesellschaft is one of the top suppliers of petroleum products in the competitively fragmented German…
Duke Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1905
The largest publicly owned gas and electric utility in the United States, Duke Energy Corporation serves roughly two…
Duke Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1905
The largest publicly owned gas and electric utility in the United States, Duke Energy Corporation serves roughly two…
ONEOK Inc. →
Active · founded 1906
ONEOK Inc.
ONEOK Inc. →
Active · founded 1906
ONEOK Inc.
The British Petroleum Company plc →
Active · founded 1909 · England
One of the five largest oil companies in the world, The British Petroleum Company plc (BP) is the United Kingdom's…
The British Petroleum Company plc →
Active · founded 1909 · England
One of the five largest oil companies in the world, The British Petroleum Company plc (BP) is the United Kingdom's…
Maxus Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1910
Maxus Energy Corporation is an independent crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company based in…
Maxus Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1910
Maxus Energy Corporation is an independent crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company based in…
Forest Oil Corporation →
Active · founded 1916
A producer of oil and natural gas in the United States, Forest Oil Corporation is credited with developing and…
Forest Oil Corporation →
Active · founded 1916
A producer of oil and natural gas in the United States, Forest Oil Corporation is credited with developing and…
PetroFina S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Belgium
PetroFina S.A., Belgium's largest corporation, is the 15th largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in…
PetroFina S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1920 · Belgium
PetroFina S.A., Belgium's largest corporation, is the 15th largest publicly traded integrated oil and gas company in…
Shell Oil Company →
Active · founded 1922
One of North America's leading producers of oil, gas, and petrochemicals, Shell Oil Company has distinguished itself…
Shell Oil Company →
Active · founded 1922
One of North America's leading producers of oil, gas, and petrochemicals, Shell Oil Company has distinguished itself…
Quantum Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Quantum Chemical Corporation (prior to 1988, the National Distillers and Chemical Corporation) is one of the largest…
Quantum Chemical Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Quantum Chemical Corporation (prior to 1988, the National Distillers and Chemical Corporation) is one of the largest…
Texaco Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Texaco is one of the world's largest oil companies, with exploratory, manufacturing, and marketing operations across…
Texaco Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Texaco is one of the world's largest oil companies, with exploratory, manufacturing, and marketing operations across…
The Columbia Gas System, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
The Columbia Gas System, Inc., is one of the largest integrated natural gas systems in the United States.
The Columbia Gas System, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
The Columbia Gas System, Inc., is one of the largest integrated natural gas systems in the United States.
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company →
Active · founded 1926
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company (LL&E) is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration companies…
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company →
Active · founded 1926
The Louisiana Land and Exploration Company (LL&E) is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration companies…
Hunt Consolidated, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
Hunt Consolidated, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
Black Hills Corporation →
Active · founded 1941
A public utility holding company, Black Hills Corporation is involved in three principal businesses: electric utility…
Black Hills Corporation →
Active · founded 1941
A public utility holding company, Black Hills Corporation is involved in three principal businesses: electric utility…
Koch Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1942
Koch Industries, Inc., a diversified petrochemical company, is the second-largest privately held firm in the United…
Koch Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1942
Koch Industries, Inc., a diversified petrochemical company, is the second-largest privately held firm in the United…
Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
Mitchell Energy & Development Corporation is one of the Houston-Galveston area's leading real estate developers and one…
Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation →
Active · founded 1946
Mitchell Energy & Development Corporation is one of the Houston-Galveston area's leading real estate developers and one…
Harbert Corporation →
Active · founded 1949
After a long and successful history primarily in the construction and mining fields, Harbert Corporation has evolved…
Harbert Corporation →
Active · founded 1949
After a long and successful history primarily in the construction and mining fields, Harbert Corporation has evolved…
FINA, Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
FINA, Inc.
FINA, Inc. →
Active · founded 1956
FINA, Inc.
Preussag AG →
Active · founded 1959 · Germany
Preussag AG is the holding company for an international group of firms operating in five major business areas: the…
Preussag AG →
Active · founded 1959 · Germany
Preussag AG is the holding company for an international group of firms operating in five major business areas: the…
Montedison S.p.A. →
Defunct · founded 1966 · Italy
Montedison S.p.A.
Montedison S.p.A. →
Defunct · founded 1966 · Italy
Montedison S.p.A.
Noble Affiliates, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
One of the leading independent energy companies in the United States, Noble Affiliates, Inc.
Noble Affiliates, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
One of the leading independent energy companies in the United States, Noble Affiliates, Inc.
Oryx Energy Company →
Active · founded 1971
Oryx Energy Company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is one of the world's largest independent oil and natural gas…
Oryx Energy Company →
Active · founded 1971
Oryx Energy Company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is one of the world's largest independent oil and natural gas…
Seagull Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1973
Seagull Energy Corporation is an energy company with operations in the southwestern United States, Alaska, and Canada.
Seagull Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1973
Seagull Energy Corporation is an energy company with operations in the southwestern United States, Alaska, and Canada.
Wascana Energy Inc. →
Active · founded 1973 · Canada
Wascana Energy Inc.
Wascana Energy Inc. →
Active · founded 1973 · Canada
Wascana Energy Inc.
Energen Corporation →
Active · founded 1979
Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Energen Corporation is a diversified holding company in natural gas distribution,…
Energen Corporation →
Active · founded 1979
Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Energen Corporation is a diversified holding company in natural gas distribution,…
Union Texas Petroleum Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
Union Texas Petroleum Holdings, Inc.
Union Texas Petroleum Holdings, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
Union Texas Petroleum Holdings, Inc.
Questar Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Questar Corporation is an integrated natural gas company whose major subsidiaries search for, produce, and market oil…
Questar Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Questar Corporation is an integrated natural gas company whose major subsidiaries search for, produce, and market oil…
CMS Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1987
CMS Energy Corporation is a diversified energy company with businesses engaged in electric and gas utility operations.
CMS Energy Corporation →
Active · founded 1987
CMS Energy Corporation is a diversified energy company with businesses engaged in electric and gas utility operations.
Repsol S.A. →
Active · founded 1987 · Spain
Repsol S.A.
Repsol S.A. →
Active · founded 1987 · Spain
Repsol S.A.
Burlington Resources Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Burlington Resources Inc., the nation's largest independent natural gas exploration and production company, functioned…
Burlington Resources Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Burlington Resources Inc., the nation's largest independent natural gas exploration and production company, functioned…
Vastar Resources, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993 · Houston, Texas 77079
Vastar Resources, Inc.
Vastar Resources, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993 · Houston, Texas 77079
Vastar Resources, Inc.
Patina Oil & Gas Corporation →
Active · founded 1996
A company looking to grow through acquisitions, Patina Oil & Gas Corporation is an independent energy company engaged…
Patina Oil & Gas Corporation →
Active · founded 1996
A company looking to grow through acquisitions, Patina Oil & Gas Corporation is an independent energy company engaged…
Build It Today

Starting a crude petroleum and natural gas company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.