American Oil Company Research Articles

Socio-economic impacts of resource extraction on indigenous populations in Imbolo Mbue's: How beautiful we were

This paper undertakes a comprehensive analysis of Imbolo Mbue's novel "How Beautiful We Were," employing the novel as a case study to explore the interconnected phenomena of ecological and economic losses affecting the fictional African village of Kosawa. The narrative serves as a poignant lens through which the catastrophic impacts of environmental degradation by external corporate interests, specifically an American oil company, are examined. Drawing on methodologies such as Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and systemic-functional linguistics, the study illuminates how the novel’s language actively shapes perceptions of ecological destruction and social conflict. The analysis is anchored in a detailed examination of the socio-economic repercussions of environmental exploitation on indigenous communities, reflecting broader global issues of environmental injustice where marginalized populations bear the brunt of industrial activities. By integrating narrative analysis with socio-economic and ecological impact assessments, the paper aims to provide a holistic understanding of the compound crises faced by communities on the frontlines of environmental exploitation. This approach not only highlights the devastating effects on health and local economies but also emphasizes the role of literature as a form of resistance and a vehicle for advocating ecological and social justice. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions on sustainable development and advocate for more nuanced and inclusive approaches in literature and policy, reinforcing the critical role of narrative in shaping public discourse and policy on environmental justice.

A Kingdom of Possibility

A Kingdom of Possibility

Difficulties experienced by Latin American oil and gas companies in the integrated adoption of practices aligned with the UN SDGs

PurposeThis paper aims to understand the difficulties faced by Latin American oil and gas (O&G) companies in adopting integrated practices aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda.Design/methodology/approachA Delphi study was conducted with 14 experts with extensive knowledge and experience in the O&G sector to collect opinions and investigate sustainable practices in the Latin American context.FindingsA consensus was reached after two rounds, demonstrating a unified view of sustainability experts on the difficulties faced by O&G companies to adopt practices aligned with the SDGs. The difficulties identified through the Delphi method were allocated into five clusters named: “public sector and governments,” “civil society,” “corporate issues,” “technology and innovation” and “financial aspects.” These clusters were used to discuss the main challenges associated with implementing business practices that recognize the SDGs and their achievement as a synergistic reinforcing system rather than an additive structure.Originality/valueThis study provides further insights into the underexplored subject relating to the challenges experienced by Latin American O&G companies in the implementation of the SDGs, adopting the perspective of academic and industry experts in this field. The findings can help professionals in O&G companies implement sustainable practices, policymakers in debates about futures laws and regulations and academic in future research.

Will the US lead the energy transition? decarbonization policy of American oil companies

The article assesses the chances of the US that recently recovered its former status of a major energy power to become the leader of the energy transition from fossil fuels to the renewable sources of energy. The authors study the key drivers of the oil and gas sector decarbonization within the framework of the fourth energy transition, such as government policy, greening of financial institutions, etc. The article analyzes decarbonization strategies and goals of the main players in the American and European oil and gas markets. The key objectives of the decarbonization process in the US are determined proceeding from the assumption that the country makes a bet on the long-term future of the global oil and gas sector and simultaneously intends to achieve net zero goals by 2050. The authors study methods (such as carbon capture, utilization and storage, direct air capture, broader use of hydrogen, reduction of gas flaring, etc.) and compare results of decarbonization carried out by the US (ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Occidental Petroleum) and European (Shell, Total, BP, Equinor) majors, as well as two key oil and gas companies in the Middle East: Saudi Aramco and ADNOC. The conclusion is made that currently the US oil and gas companies lag behind their European competitors in the energy transition sphere, and at the same time the main Middle Eastern players that employ similar approaches to reducing their carbon footprint are gradually catching up with them.

The impact of climate litigation and activism on stock prices: the case of oil and gas majors

The issue of oil and gas companies’ contribution to climate change gained particular prominence on May 26, 2021. A Dutch court ordered Royal Dutch Shell to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, while shareholder votes at Exxon Mobile and Chevron succeeded in pushing for further emissions reductions. Together, these events signify a sudden increase in climate litigation and climate activism risk for global oil and gas companies. This study assesses investors' perception of these events by investigating oil and gas companies’ stock price reaction. The results show a significant negative impact on the stock prices for European and North American oil and gas firms, while firms located in other jurisdictions record slight gains. Higher environmental, social, and governance scores appear to mitigate the negative impact on European and North American oil and gas companies, primarily driven through better emissions related measures. The results highlight the adverse effect of increased climate litigation and climate activism risk on firm valuations.

The effects of cross-cultural differences on HRM functions: the case of multinational corporations in Kuwaiti community

PurposeWith increasing globalization, the importance of referring to cross-cultural contexts is also amplifying in the contemporary era. The models, framework and dimensions devoted to such situations are increasingly mannered in practice today. With due consideration derivation to the input manner, an organization’s performance is also taken aside for its increasing marginality. The following study aims to examine the American multinational oil and gas company operating in Kuwait's oil sector to evaluate the respect. The branch has a total of 600 employees, which were all included in the data collection phase. Hence, the results derived with cumulative aspects of leadership, power distance and organizational value as their impact on human resource management (HRM) functions.Design/methodology/approachThrough the quantitative approach of a self-adapted questionnaire, 101 responses were collected, and through SPSS Version 22, results were discreet.FindingsThe results reverted with the manual that the cultural dimension of Hofstede, i.e. power distance, did not have an apparent impact on the HRM functions. Whilst leadership and organizational values had their dissolved set of effects on HRM functions of the chosen firm. However, HRM functions were apparent enough to have its impact upon leadership, power distance (PD) and organizational value accumulated. Opening to the opportunities where in the future studies, a greater extent of population as well as variables could be considered for a better impact.Research limitations/implicationsThe Major limitation of the study is related to the number of respondents as the research was conducted solely for the chosen branch of this private oil and gas firm in Kuwait, which makes its results limited and narrowed in the analysis phase. Moreover, the methodology selection did not do justice to the resulting research’s agenda, which was restricted due to the pandemic’s situation. Where with a better and respective methodology approach, better results could be attached.Originality/valueThe rationale of research refers to the gap concerning theoretical aspects within a field of business. As for the resulting study, in a cross-cultural management setting, the relevancy and implication of HRM functions concerning their transparency have not been explored. Globally, in different industries, the, study of similar nature has been conducted but has not examined, the fossil fuel industry particularly, which would be the focal point of this research.

A voice of resistance and activism: A critique of Imbolo Mbue’s How Beautiful We Were

This article focused on the voice of resistance and activism in Imbolo Mbue’s How Beautiful We Were (2021). The novel voices the environmental injustices and the disastrous consequences of oil corporations. The people of Kosawa know that something is wrong with the land they’re living on. They receive acid rain, rivers have grown sickly green, and people are dizzy with the diseases. They also know that Pexton, the oil company is to blame for their loss of life and livelihood. The natives decide to rise up and fight back against an American Oil Company that has been polluting the land. This study investigated how this ecological destruction in Kosawa has triggered eco-activism and resistance from the natives. The study used the qualitative approach employing an analytical research design comprising research methods of content analysis and close textual reading. The research was further informed by Lawrence Buell’s (2005) second wave of eco-criticism, which advocates for environmental justice for the victims of environmental degradation. It is also concerned about the destruction of plants and animals. This study depicts eco-criticism as a theory that displays the tools of activism and resistance. The findings of this research show that oil spillage has shattering effects on humans, animals, and aquatic life. The findings also show that the author uses various resistance approaches to fight against environmental degradation such as media, education, revolution, and age mates among others. Mbue’s text calls on the African nations to vehemently resist environmental degradation.

Comparative Analysis of Financial Leverage of Oil Companies in Russian and American Sectors of the Economy

New economic realities, the increasing influence of the volatility of the global economy once again raise issues of ensuring economic stability, which is the guarantor of successful business. Sources of financing for business activities are both own and borrowed. Therefore, in order to maintain sustainable business growth and economic competitiveness, it is important for managers to see the dynamics and objectively assess the specifics of their companies' capital on the world market and understand the industry features of their own enterprise that affect economic indicators. To solve such problems, due to its simplicity and heuristic potential, the best indicator is the financial leverage ratio. Due to the high level of development of market relations and leading position in the world economy, the US economy acts as a kind of model in comparison with which it is possible to identify some shortcomings of the economies of other states. This study explored the differences in financial leverage readings for Russian and American oil companies. Using the Student's t-test, the Shapiro — Wilk test and graphical analysis methods, we investigated the presence of variations in the samples and their statistical significance. Based on the findings and the identified characteristics of financial leverage we established possible advantages to improve the quality of analysis of financial and economic activities, broadening our understanding of structural features of the enterprise and optimizing operation of effective business activities.

Addressing the UN SDGs in sustainability reports: An analysis of Latin American oil and gas companies

This article aims to establish an overview of the sustainable practices developed by the major oil and gas enterprises in Latin America and analyse how these practices are related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 9, 11 and 12. The methodological strategy used was the content analysis of the sustainability reports published by companies in the sector. Considering the ten oil and gas companies with the highest revenue in Latin America, 7 of them published sustainability reports in 2020 (base 2019), and these reports were analysed via content analysis technique. The findings showed that 244 sustainable practices were reported in sustainability reports by these seven companies. These practices were summarised by twenty different keywords (the practice can be represented by more than one keyword) and related with the targets of SDGs 7, 9, 11 and 12. It was found that few practices were related with the following targets: (a) greater access of small-sized companies, especially from developing countries, to financial services (target 9.3), (b) encouragement of companies to use sustainable practices and add sustainability information in their reporting cycle (target 12.6) and (c) the rationalisation of inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies (target 12.c). However, one company stands out amongst its competitors, having practices that, on average, were related with a higher number of targets of SDGs 7, 9, 11 and 12. This research has an exploratory character. The information reported here is of great value in guiding CSR actions of companies in the oil and gas sector and future research in the area to discuss how such companies can contribute to targets 9.3, 12.6, and 12.c.

Alexandr Serebrovskiĭ and the Modernization of the Soviet Oil Industry—1924 to 1929

Abstract Baku, the center of the Russian and then Soviet oil industry, represented the raw economic potential of early Soviet industry. At the head of the industry was Alexandr Serebrovskiĭ, head of Azneft, the largest Soviet oil trust, and a pivotal figure in reviving Soviet oil production across the 1920s. His trip to the United States in 1924 and his subsequent plan to restore Baku’s productive capacity via American technology and methodology would not only improve the industry’s output but allow Azneft to directly compete with American oil companies on the international stage, thus demonstrating the latent potential of the Soviet Union for exportation. However, while this project seemed initially successful, it created a difficult fiscal legacy as Azneft became increasingly financially insolvent across the 1920s.

Discussion of the paper by Yahya et al. 2018 entitled “Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions during the deposition of the bauxite layer (Upper Cretaceous) using multi-proxy geochemical and palynological analyses, in the Zabirah Area, Northern Saudi Arabia” (Arabian Journal of Geosciences v.11, Article No.15)

Yahya et al. (2018) interpreted the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic conditions prevalent during the formation of the Late Cretaceous Az Zabirah Bauxite in Northern Saudi Arabia. They suggest that claystones associated with the bauxite profile are of Maastrichtian age based on palynology. This age interpretation is counter to the evidence of decades of detailed mapping and biostratigraphic analyses conducted by specialists from the Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres (BRGM) that demonstrate an Albian to Cenomanian age for the Az Zabirah Bauxite. This older age is even reported in Yahya et al.’s text quoting BRGM and Arabian American Oil Company palynology reports yet, for reasons that remain obscure, was rejected in favour of an unsubstantiated Maastrichtian age. More recent publications on the Cretaceous stratigraphy of Saudi Arabia were not cited. Furthermore, the palynology presented in the paper does not confirm their age interpretation. A second bauxite horizon, the “Pre-Aruma Bauxite” is present nearby but all descriptions and illustrations in the paper suggest that this is not the studied horizon. Moreover, recent Sr isotope dating suggests that the “Pre-Aruma Bauxite” is older than Middle Campanian. The value of sedimentological, palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental interpretations requires them to be placed in their correct stratigraphic context. The authors have singularly failed to achieve this in their publication.

Policy for decarbonizing European and American oil companies

Policy for decarbonizing European and American oil companies

Canada and the Manhattan Crisis in the Arctic (1968–1970)

The discovery of a giant oil field in Alaska in 1968 sparked great interest in the United States in the Northwest Passage as a possible route for the delivery of Alaska's oil to the more southern states of the United States. In 1969-1970 American oil companies with the support of the U.S. authorities organized two voyages of the tanker Manhattan across these waters to test the viability of this route. Although Canada supported this project and took part in it, but at the same time the Canadian government of P. Trudeau adopted two new laws, which sharply strengthened Canada's control over shipping in the Northwest Passage. In an effort to prevent an open conflict with the United States, Canada did not declare all the waters of the Arctic Archipelago as its internal waters, but made a choice in favor of the so-called functional sovereignty, that is, the ability to exercise a certain set of rights over a specific territory.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Impression Management: ARAMCO, 1932-74

In emerging economies, economic development and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are closely entwined. Multinational corporations have presented a positive image of their economic and social activities to investors and society in general as part of their justification for exploiting the natural resources of these countries. This study examines the Arabian American Oil Company’s (Aramco) CSR programs in employment, housing and healthcare during the period 1932 to 1974. These programs contributed to economic and social development but were also a mechanism used by the Company to maintain control of the Saudi oil assets. This research uses a computer-aided content analysis program, DICTION 7.0 to analyse the text in Aramco’s published annual reports during this period. The narrative in the reports was further analysed to assess the application of impression management techniques in the presentation of content.

Comics and revolution as global public health intervention: The Case of Lissa

ABSTRACT In this article, we discuss the inextricable entanglement of public health and political revolution, and why comics is a particularly amenable medium to explore how different people come to terms with illness and mortality against the backdrop of political, economic, and environmental crises. We discuss our process in creating a sequential comic narrative, Lissa, that portrays a working-class Egyptian family, informed by hundreds of interviews and ethnographic research in Egypt on the vulnerabilities that expose people to kidney and liver disease and the difficulties of accessing proper treatment. Lissa also draws on ethnographic research and interviews in the U.S. on a seemingly unrelated topic - the social and political calculus of managing genetic risk for breast and ovarian cancer within a commercial healthcare system. We draw out the similarities in bioethical dilemmas between these two disparate clinical realities by composing an unlikely friendship between two fictional characters: Anna, the daughter of an American oil company executive living in Cairo, who has a family history of breast cancer - and Layla, the daughter of the porter of Anna's apartment building, who grows to become a resolute physician struggling for better public health justice and rights in Egypt.

Creditworthiness of North American Oil Companies and Minsky Financing Categories: Assessment of Shifts Due to the 2014-2016 Oil Price Shock

Our study provides a unique and comprehensive analysis of oil and gas companies' performance over the latest oil price crisis of 2014-2016. The oil price declined under the pressure of global oil oversupply instigated by OPEC under the strategic leadership of Saudi Arabia, in an effort to retain market share by diminishing the production growth of shale oil and oil from oil sands in North America. The financial performance of 45 North American oil companies was assessed over the 2014-2016 period of decreased oil prices, distinguishing six peer groups based on market capitalization, of which 11 representative companies were selected for further in-depth analysis. For each selected company, a forensic financial analysis was performed on the three principal accounts of corporate financial performance: profit-loss account, cash flow account and balance sheet. Financial accounts were consolidated in annualized graphs for 2010-2015. Next, the historic production output and operational income from the existing assets (2010-2015) were projected forward to stress test future liquidity positions (2016-2020). These projections incorporated known maturation dates of corporate debt and any announced divestments and/or acquisitions. The majority of the companies are classified in Minsky's speculative financing category, which is riskier than hedge financing and less risky than Ponzi financing. The oil price collapse pushed numerous companies into Ponzi financing and led to a record number of bankruptcies. Lessons learned and recommendations are formulated for company management, shareholders and lenders, based on the corporate financial performance of the analyzed companies during the decade (2010-20120) spanning the 2014-2016 oil price shock.

From colony to oil producer: US oil companies and the reshaping of labor relations in Libya during the Cold War

ABSTRACTThis article analyzes the labor relations the US government and American oil companies introduced in Libya between the Suez Crisis of 1956 and the rise of Muammar Qaddafi’s regime in 1969. It argues that labor policies played a crucial role in American Cold War efforts to place Libya in the Western bloc and assure access to its oil resources. Like in other contexts, the American government relied on anti-Communist trade unions, in particular the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), to oppose radical forms of labor organizing. Bini examines the ways in which Libyan oil workers resisted the forms of segregation and discrimination introduced in oil camps and company towns, by demanding the right to redefine labor relations through trade unions, and establishing ties with other trade unions in Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria. This article shows that despite American efforts to repress Libyan trade unions, in the second half of the 1960s oil workers were a crucial force in redefining international oil politics. During the Six Day War of 1967, they constituted one of the main forces behind Libya’s support of oil nationalism and set the stage for the emergence of Qaddafi’s regime in 1969.

НАФТОГАЗОВИЙ ФАКТОР У ЗОВНІШНІЙ ПОЛІТИЦІ КРАЇН ЛАТИНСЬКОЇ АМЕРИКИ

Formulation of the problem. The authors analyze the current state and prospects for the development of the oil and gas complex and their role in the foreign policy of the Latin American states, policies of the use of oil and gas resources as a tool for enhancing influence in the region, as well as the functioning of multilateral oil supply agreements. The possibilities of realization of joint energy projects in Latin America are analyzed. The presence of oil and gas in the region has always been used as a political tool. The United States' reliance on Middle Eastern oil and the carbon emissions produced by the surging demand for fossil fuels in Asia tend to dominate discussions about the role of energy in U.S. foreign policy. But in recent years, the energy relationship between the United States and Latin America has perhaps become more important than other issues, as the largest share of the United States international trade and investment in the energy sector has occurred within the Western Hemisphere. Purpose of the researchis to study the role of the oil and gas complex in the foreign policy of Latin American countries. The oil and gas complex plays an important role in the foreign policy of Latin American countries. The Latin American energy market is quite attractive to transnational energy companies due to the huge volumes of cheap energy resources, the consumer market with growing energy demand. The energy markets of the Americas are deeply integrated. Despite the shale boom, which led to a sharp increase in U.S. oil production and a drop in imports, the United States still relies on Latin America for more than 30 percent of the oil it buys from abroad. The gas and gas complex part of the geological section is characterized by a similar lithological composition and the underlying rocks, containing oil and gas in industrial volumes. Research methods: The following research methods were used to address the issues set in the article: general scientific methods – descriptive, hermeneutic-political, systemic, structural-functional, comparative, institutional-comparative; general logical methods – empirical, statistical, prognostic modeling and analysis; special methods of political science. The preference was given to the method of political-system analysis, by which the common and distinctive characteristics of the basic components of immigration policy strategies were identified, reflecting existing political, public, information and other challenges for international relations and global development. The article of analysis. Latin America, a growing importer of U.S. natural gas and the largest market for U.S., makes refined petroleum products, such as gasoline. American oil companies and utilities are big investors in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela, helping to develop the energy resources of all those countries. In Brazil, the United States direct investment in oil and gas extraction reached $2,4 billion in 2015; in Mexico, the figure was $420 million. Washington's financing and technical cooperation programs have further helped the development of new energy resources in the region. U.S. institutions and funds back up clean energy investments and provide regulatory and technical guidance to tap the region's shale fields.

Post-merger and Acquisition Integration: A Case Review of Dial Henkel And BP Amoco

Post-merger and Acquisition (M&A) integration often deals with significant transformational changes of merging companies in terms of development, communication, implementation and harmonization of a new shared vision, strategic objective, corporate culture, and also combination of best companies’ value practices. The transformational change is accentuated on facilitating the role of developing and executing an effective post-M&A Integration to build change cohesively with the strategic management of M&A, and also in terms of removing barriers to the success of M&A transaction. The aims of this study are to give a clear and deep understanding on how to manage the soft factors issues that address in M&A process especially in the post-M&A integration process and also to elucidate the critical success factor of M&A process by instilling the best characteristics and the effectiveness level of leadership aspect in M&A. The methodology used in this research is descriptive qualitative research with a method or approach of a case study of Henkel’s Acquisition of The Dial Corporation in 2004. The acquisition of a USA company Dial by a German company Henkel evidenced that both companies were successful in M&A transaction and employed the effectiveness of multi-culture integration strategy. Another case study used in this research is British Petroleum (BP) and American Oil Company (Amoco) (also Atlantic Richield Company (ARCO) and Burmah Castrol) in 1998-2000. The case of BP Amoco showed that the monoculture integration strategy or cultural imposition can also lead to a value creation. Both case studies showed that successful integration requires leadership as a foundation to build a solid execution of post-M&A integration projects in how they planned, communicated and delivered the objectives of the projects.

Air Conditioning the Arabian Peninsula

With much of the Arabian Peninsula characterized by hot and arid weather conditions during long summer seasons, residents are forced to rely on air conditioning to cool their surroundings. Before the construction of air conditioning infrastructures, many would leave the coast during the summer months to head to oases, such as Al Ain near Abu Dhabi, or live in tents in the desert to find relief from the heat. From the 1950s, European and American building practices shaped the region with little consideration of vernacular design elements or energy conservation. These building practices introduced air conditioning as a cooling method. For instance, the 1951 Report of Operations to the Saudi Arab Government by the Arabian American Oil Company explained how “automobiles, air conditioning units, sewing machines, washing machines, refrigerators, and many other modern conveniences are now readily available” in Al Hasa, a significant region for Aramco's operations on the east of Saudi Arabia. By 1952, workers residing in Aramco's camps could have air conditioning units installed in their rooms on a rental basis. Air conditioning technology reconfigured urban environments, altering the relationship between indoors and outdoors, and ultimately constituting what Jiat-Hwee Chang and Tim Winter term a “thermal modernity” that transforms how built forms are imagined and inhabited. The current widespread use of air conditioning in the region is therefore connected not only to high temperatures, but also to how air conditioning is singled out as the ultimate technical fix in confronting the climate. Other solutions to managing heat, such as improving insulation mechanisms for residences and office buildings, have been less pervasive.