The transformation of the world petroleum industry and business activities of major petroleum companies since the early 1980s

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03567
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Economic history
• Research Institution: Saitama University
• Principal Investigator: ITOH Takashi 埼玉大学, 人文社会科学研究科, 教授 (00151514)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 国際石油企業 / エクソン社 / 原油生産 / 天然ガス生産 / 精製事業 / 事業の多角化 / 組織改革 / エクソンモービル合同

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to clarify the business activities of Exxon Mobil Corporation over a period of more than thirty years since the early 1970s. The main topics consist of upstream businesses, downstream businesses, diversification, organizational structures, and the Exxon Mobil Merger. One of main conclusions is that the Company rushed to move into various industries, such as office equipment, minerals, nuclear fuel, coal, solar power, synthetic fuels, and others, after the first oil crisis in 1973, but almost all these new businesses had left the Company by the early 21st century. Up to now petroleum and natural gas businesses have still continued to be its main activities.
In addition, this research has reviewed Exxon: Transforming, 1973-2005, by Joseph A. Pratt with William E. Hale, which was published in 2013 and is the fifth volume of the history of the Company.

Free Research Field

社会科学