Oil rig workerGlobal oil and gas exports totaled US$2.066 trillion in 2018, making them the world’s second-most valuable exported product group behind cars. That dollar amount reflects a -37.5% decrease from $2.874 trillion during 2014, but a 15% uptick from 2017 to 2018.
Oil and gas products represent 10.7% of overall 2018 globally exported products which totaled $19.347 trillion. The total for oil and gas encompasses crude and refined oils, petroleum gases plus petroleum residues.
Almost half (46%) of oil and gas exports in 2018 was for crude oil, compared to 37.8% for refined oils then 13.8% for petroleum gases. Other sub-categories include oil products from the distillation of high-temperature coal (1.4%) and petroleum residues like coke and bitumen (1%).
Further breaking down metrics for global oil and gas exports from 2014 to 2018, exported crude oil fell in value by -28.1% over the 5-year period compared to -35.4% for petroleum gases, -20.7% for processed petroleum oils, -1% for petroleum residues-related goods and -28.2% for oil products from distilled from high-temperature coal.
Largest Oil and Gas Companies
Below are 25 of the world’s largest oil and gas companies ordered by asset value as of December 2018, starting with conglomerates with the strongest capitalization. Shown within parenthesis is the country where each business has its headquarters.
- Royal Dutch Shell: US$410.7 billion (Netherlands)
- PetroChina: $381.1 billion (China)
- Exxon Mobil: $348.8 billion (United States)
- Gazprom: $316.8 billion (Russia)
- BP: $275.3 billion (United Kingdom)
- Total: $257 billion (France)
- Chevron: $256.4 billion (United States)
- Sinopec: $249.9 billion (China)
- Petrobras: $248 billion (Brazil)
- Rosneft: $214.2 billion (Russia)
- Eni: $143.1 billion (Italy)
- Reliance Industries: $125.2 billion (India)
- Equinor: $115.4 billion (Norway)
- SK Holdings: $102.5 billion (South Korea)
- LukOil: $92 billion (Russia)
- JX Holdings: $79.5 billion (Japan)
- Repsol: $71.6 billion (Spain)
- PTT PCL: $68.5 billion (Thailand)
- Phillips 66: $52.1 billion (United States)
- Marathon Petroleum: $50.4 billion (United States)
- Valero Energy: $49.4 billion (United States)
- Indian Oil: $46.6 billion (India)
- SK Innovation: $32 billion (South Korea)
- Bharat Petroleum: $17 billion (India)
- Hindustan Petroleum: $12.5 billion (India)
Five of the world’s biggest oil and gas exports-oriented businesses are headquartered in the United States, compared to four world-class competitors centered in India and three energy giants from Russia.
Nevertheless, the number one oil and gas operator by asset value is venerable Royal Dutch Shell from the Netherlands.
Note: Some of the above company sales may include products other than oil and gas. For example, SK Holdings also provides information technology services, distributes natural gas, manufactures petrochemicals, develops biopharmaceutica
