Publications

June 2011
Article

The BP Oil Spill as a Cultural Anomaly?: Institutional Context, Conflict, and Change

By: Andrew J. Hoffman and P. Devereaux Jennings

This article argues that the BP Oil Spill is, potentially, a “cultural anomaly” for institutional changes in environmental management and fossil fuel production. The problem as defined by the spill’s context, the potential solutions provided by the competing logics in... View Details

Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Environmental Management; Pollutants; Energy Industry

September 2011
Article

The Empire Struck Back: Sanctions and Compensation in the Mexican Oil Expropriation of 1938

By: Noel Maurer

The Mexican expropriation of 1938 was the first large-scale non-Communist expropriation of foreign-owned natural resource assets. The literature makes three assertions: the U.S. did not fully back the companies, Mexico did not fully compensate them for the value of... View Details

Keywords: Natural Environment; Assets; Value; Motivation and Incentives; Government and Politics; Strategy; Interests; Revenue; Non-Renewable Energy; Energy Industry; Mexico; United States

March 2005 (Revised April 2005)
Case

Ocean & Oil Holdings and the Leveraged Buyout of Agip Nigeria (A)

In 2001, a Nigerian holding company was deciding how much to pay for a major Nigerian oil marketing firm. Explores the challenges facing a fast-growing, leveraged buyout firm operating in a global economy but constrained by imperfect local financial and legal... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Emerging Markets; Nigeria

Educators

September 2015
Teaching Note

Eco7: Launching a New Motor Oil (Brief Case)

By: John A. Quelch and Sunru Yong

2010
Working Paper

The Empire Struck Back: The Mexican Oil Expropriation of 1938 Reconsidered

By: Noel Maurer

The Mexican expropriation of 1938 was the first large-scale non-Communist expropriation of foreign-owned natural resource assets. The literature generally makes three assertions: the U.S. government did not fully back the companies, Mexico did not fully compensate them... View Details

Keywords: Non-Renewable Energy; Governance Controls; Business History; Ownership; Business and Government Relations; Natural Environment; Energy Industry; Mexico; United States

Read Now

March 2023 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Golden Agri-Resources and the Challenge of Sustainable Palm Oil

By: Mattias Fibiger and Adina Wong

Educators

March 2023
Teaching Note

Mossadeq’s Gambit: The US, UK, and Iranian Oil Nationalization

By: Jeremy Friedman

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 722-065. View Details

21 Mar 2016
Working Paper Summaries

Voluntary, Self-Regulatory, and Mandatory Disclosure of Oil and Gas Company Payments to Foreign Governments

Keywords: by Paul M. Healy and George Serafeim; Energy

December 1983
Case

Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Oil Leases (A)

February 1979
Case

Gulf Oil Corp. and the United States Government (B)

By: J. Ronald Fox

Keywords: Energy; Business and Government Relations; Energy Industry; United States

December 2005 (Revised May 2008)
Supplement

BP and the Consolidation of the Oil Industry: Supplement

By: Forest L. Reinhardt and Nazli Uludere

Keywords: Energy Industry

December 1983
Supplement

Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Oil Leases (B)

April 1984 (Revised August 1995)
Teaching Note

Standard Oil Co.: Combination, Consolidation, and Integration, Teaching Note

By: Richard S. Tedlow

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Energy Industry

June 1987
Case

Shell Brasil S.A.: Performance Evaluation in the Oil Products Division

August 2021 (Revised May 2022)
Background Note

Oil: History, Present and Future

By: Jurgen Weiss

This background note is intended to provide context for a discussion of the strategies for big integrated oil companies in light of both oil’s current role in the global energy system and the uncertainty about changes going forward. View Details

Keywords: Oil; Energy Markets; Oil Prices; Oil Companies; Decarbonization; Non-Renewable Energy; Environmental Sustainability; Strategy; Globalized Markets and Industries

Educators