South African-based Sasol (South African Coal, Oil and Gas Corporation) is an integrated energy and chemicals company in the business of mining, oil, gas, and chemical production. It uses a proprietary process to convert coal and gas into liquid fuels and chemicals.
Syncrude Canada is one of the leading players in the big, dirty business of extracting oil from the tar sands of northern Alberta. It is a joint venture owned by an investment trust and a group of six U.S., Canadian and Japanese oil companies, among them the Canadian subsidiary of ExxonMobil. The company has been targeted by environmental groups because of its large volume of greenhouse gas emissions, but Syncrude has experienced a higher degree of controversy over an incident in 2008 in which some 1,600 ducks were killed at one of the company waste ponds.
Production at Canada’s largest petroleum company is dominated by the highly controversial process of extracting crude oil from the tar sands of northern Alberta. Suncor has invested billions of dollars—and plans to invest many billions more—to make North America more energy independent, but uses methods that generate large quantities of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Suncor, which in 2009 swallowed its competitor Petro-Canada, says it is trying to reduce those emissions, but the company is still a target of frequent climate protests by groups such as Greenpeace.
One of the key companies in the family promoted Jindal Group, JSPL has grown from a moderately performing company in the steel sector to the largest sponge iron manufacturer in the world. Steered by Naveen Jindal, a Member of Parliament (2009), and one of four heirs to the business founded by his father, O.P. Jindal, JSPL realised a 2008 turnover in excess of $2 billion (Indian Rupee 100 billion. US $1 = Rs.
Premier Oil is a relatively small company devoted entirely to the "upstream" sector of the industry, the exploitation of oil and gas, as opposed to the "downstream'" refining and retail sector. Premier Oil has license interests in eight countries: Albania, Denmark, Germany, Indonesia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan and the UK.
Canadian Oil Sands invests in Alberta's oil sands in partnership with the Syncrude Project. Using controversial methods, Syncrude dredges crude oil from the ground and is being protested by multiple civil society organizations.
BP is a petroleum company based out of the UK, formerly known as British Petroleum. BP was named one of the "ten worst corporations" multiple times based on its environmental and human rights records. In 2007 BP applied for a permit that would allow it to increase the amount of toxics it dumps daily into Lake Michigan, which is a source of drinking water for Chicago. The permit would allow up to 1,584 pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of suspended solids daily.
Be the first to profile this company
One of Italy's largest companies, Eni operates in the oil and natural gas, petrochemicals, and oil field services industries. Its main subsidiaries and affiliates include EniPower (power generation), Italgas (natural gas transmission), Saipem (oil field services), pipeline operator Snam Rete Gas, and Snamprogetti (contracting, engineering). As one of the world's leading oil enterprises, in 2006 Eni had proved reserves of more than 6.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent, most of it in Italy and in Africa. The Italian government owns about 30% of Eni but is considering selling the holding.
Lukoil is Russia's largest oil company and its largest producer of oil. In 2006, it produced 95.2 million metric tons of oil. Its international upstream subsidiary is called LUKOIL Overseas Holding. Headquartered in Moscow, LUKOIL is the second largest public company (next to ExxonMobil) in terms of proven oil and gas reserves (ca. 20 bn boe by SPE standards; some 1.3% of global oil reserves).
