- Superior Oil Company
Superior Oil Company (1921–1984) was an independent American oil company that is now part of
ExxonMobil . Superior Oil was founded in 1921 inCoalinga, California byWilliam Myron Keck , also founder of theW. M. Keck Foundation .cite web
title = Biography of William Myron Keck
url = http://www.wmkeck.org/about/wmkeck.html
publisher = W. M. Keck Foundation] [cite web
title = 2000 Annual Report
url = http://www.wmkeck.org/about/AR_00.pdf
publisher = W. M. Keck Foundation
pages = p. 2]Superior Oil began as a drilling contracting firm and grew into other oil services including exploration and production of oil and
natural gas . In 1938, the company constructed the first offshoreoil platform off the Gulf Coast ofLouisiana in cooperation withPure Oil , another independent producer. [cite web
title = History of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry in Southern Louisiana
url = http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/studies/2004/2004-049.pdf
publisher =Minerals Management Service ,United States Department of the Interior
month = July
year = 2004
pages = p. 9
quote = In 1937 and 1938, Pure Oil and Superior Oil together built a large wooden platform about a mile offshore in approximately 14 feet of water. This Creole field became the first producing property in the Gulf.]From the company's founding in 1921 until 1963, Superior Oil was led by its founder, W. M. Keck. From 1963 until 1981, it was led by Keck's son,
Howard B. Keck . [cite web
title = Howard B. Keck
work = 20th Century American Leaders Database
url = http://www.hbs.edu/leadership/database/leaders/461/
publisher =Harvard Business School
year = 2004]In March 1984, Superior Oil was acquired by Mobil Corporation (now part of ExxonMobil) for 5.7 billion
U.S. dollar s. [cite web
title = Performance Profiles of Major Energy Producers 1998
url = http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/FTPROOT/financial/020698.pdf
publisher =Energy Information Administration ,United States Department of Energy
month = January
year = 2000
pages = p. 39, note 27
quote = Finally, in March 1984, Mobil acquired Superior Oil for $5.7 billion in an intra-FRS company transaction.] At the time the company was the nation's largest independent oil producer. [cite web
title = 2003 Annual Report
url = http://www.wmkeck.org/about/AR_03.pdf
publisher = W. M. Keck Foundation
pages = p. 9
quote = In time, Superior became the largest independent oil producing company in North America.]References
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