The Exxon - Mobil Merger Controversy
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Case Code: BSTR117 Case Length: 21 Pages Period: 1998-2003 Pub Date: 2004 Teaching Note: Not Available |
Price: Rs.500 Organization: ExxonMobil Industry: Oil and Energy Countries: USA Themes: Mergers Acquisition and Takeovers |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
Background Note
EXXON CORPORATION
Exxon was one of the companies formed after the disintegration of the Standard Oil Trust. The US Supreme Court in 1911 ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil Trust, resulting in the spin-off of 34 companies. Two of the companies that were spun-off were Jersey Standard (Standard) and Socony, the predecessor companies of Exxon and Mobil respectively. John Archbold took over as the president of Jersey Standard in 1911. During his tenure, Standard started oil exploration to overcome the problem of its poor crude oil reserves.
By the early 1950s, Standard had emerged as the world's largest oil company with major oil exploration operations in the Middle East. Standard had consolidated most of its oil exploration divisions in the US by 1960, into one subsidiary known as the Humble Oil and Refining Company. Monroe J. Rathbone who became the CEO in 1960 took an important strategic decision to start oil exploration projects outside the Middle East. During the period 1964-67, the company spent nearly $700 mn on exploration in non-OPEC countries. The oil exploration efforts started to show results by 1977, and the company had more reserves outside the Middle East than any other company.
In 1972, Standard was renamed Exxon. In the 1970s and 1980s, Exxon faced major setbacks in its attempt to diversify into other forms of energy. In the 1990s, Exxon shifted its focus to the Asia-Pacific region and invested heavily in anticipation of a boom in the market for LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). It undertook aggressive refinery expansion and new oil exploration projects in Asia. By the late 1990s, Exxon had emerged as a diversified company with worldwide presence in exploration, development, production, and sale of oil and natural gas, refining and sale of petroleum products, development, production, and sale of various chemical products, production and sale of coal and minerals, and power generation...
MOBIL CORPORATION
Socony was formed after Standard Oil was dissolved. Over the next two decades, the company built up its business. Socony acquired a 45 per cent stake in Magnolia Petroleum Company, a major refiner, marketer, and pipeline transporter in the US to expand its business...
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