Occidental Petroleum

Occidental Petroleum

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy) is a California-based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America. Its headquarters is in Westwood, Los Angeles.

"Oxy" is the largest oil producer in Texas. In California, Oxy is the largest natural gas producer. Oxy has additional operations in Kansas, North Dakota, Utah, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico. The company nickname began in 1964 in reference to Occidental’s NYSE stock ticker (OXY). Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Oxy is the fourth-largest US oil and gas company, based on 2011 year-end equity market capitalization. As of 2011, the company has more than 40,000 employees and contractors worldwide.

Oxy's role in oil and natural gas exploration and production, to which they have pledged a commitment to responsibility, has also been a source of criticism. The company states that it is "committed to respecting the environment, protecting safety and upholding high standards of social responsibility throughout its worldwide operations." Critics have raised concerns about Occidental's historical operations in these areas.

Oxy’s subsidiaries include wholly owned chemical manufacturers Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem), OxyVinyls, and INDSPEC Chemical Corporation. Oxy indirectly owns Armand Products Company with Church & Dwight Co., Inc.. Carbocloro S.A. Indústrias Químicas is a joint venture between OxyChem and UNIPAR in Brazil.