Seven Sisters (oil companies) - Definition

Following the break up by the US Government of Standard Oil, several new companies were created, four of which, along with three other major oil companies, were once referred to as the Seven Sisters. These were:

• Standard Oil of New Jersey. This later became Exxon, now ExxonMobil.
• Royal Dutch Shell Anglo-Dutch
• British Anglo-Persian Oil Company. This later became British Petroleum, then BPAmoco following a merger with Amoco (which in turn was formerly Standard Oil of Indiana). It is now known solely by the initials BP.
• Standard Oil of New York. This later became Mobil, which merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil.
• Texaco. This later merged with Chevron to form ChevronTexaco.
• Standard Oil of California (Socal). This became Chevron, and now ChevronTexaco.
• Gulf Oil. Most of this became part of Chevron, and eventually ChevronTexaco. A network of stations in the northeastern United States now bears this name.

As of 2003, the surviving companies are ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, Shell, and BP.

See also

• Cartel
• Fossil fuel
• Monopoly
• Petroleum