OIL: The New Barons of Oil

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A consumer who wanted to know where the power lay in the world oil business once had only to memorize the names of the "seven sister" international companies: Exxon, Royal Dutch/Shell, Gulf, Texaco, Mobil, California Standard and British Petroleum. Now he must also learn such less familiar names as National Iranian, Petromin and Pertamina. They are among a host of government-owned companies that are muscling in on the majors' market by taking over many of the seven sisters' operations outside the U.S.

Last week, in a move deliberately timed to coincide with the oil-consuming nations' talks in Washington —which some Arab countries saw as "an act of aggression"—Libya pointed up the trend. It nationalized the local operations of Atlantic Richfield, Texaco and Standard Oil of California, which together produce about 9% of Libya's daily output of 2 million bbl. a day. The U.S. companies will be compensated for their facilities, but the details of payment remain to be worked out.

By similar nationalization or by negotiating "participation" agreements, nearly every producing nation has entered the oil business. From Abu Dhabi to Zaire, government-owned firms are asserting more and more control over drilling, pumping, refining, shipping and pricing local petroleum. They already have played a key role in pushing prices to undreamed-of heights: several have auctioned off oil for $14.69, $17.34 or even $20 per barrel.

Some of the most notable of the national companies:

THE NATIONAL IRANIAN OIL CO. is the biggest and most sophisticated government firm. Iran nationalized petroleum in 1951, and N.I.O.C. controls all oil production, pricing and exploration in the country, which has reserves of 60 billion bbl. Pumping the oil is left to a foreign consortium—including British Petroleum, Gulf and Exxon—that is allowed to buy most of the oil that is lifted. Of the 5.7 million bbl. pumped daily, about 600,000 bbl. go directly to N.I.O.C., which refines and markets this amount for use within the country.

Iran's Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi is the real boss of N.I.O.C., and he has been pressing the company's expansion. N.I.O.C. now runs four refineries in Iran and holds interests in refineries in India and South Africa. The company is also moving into petrochemicals and exploitation of Iran's immense natural-gas reserves. In a deal that suggests the shape of the future, N.I.O.C. is contracting to sell up to 100,000 bbl. a day for 15 years to Ashland Oil Co. in return for a half interest in 180 service stations in New York State (which will sell gasoline under the Ashland-N.I.O.C. brand name) and a refinery in Buffalo.

PETROMIN, Saudi Arabia's company, has enormous potential because of the country's vast reserves, estimated to be 132 billion bbl. At present, it stands in the shadow of the world's biggest oil-producing firm, Aramco, which pumps virtually all of the 7.3 million bbl. produced daily in Saudi Arabia. King Faisal's government holds the largest share of Aramco (25%) in partnership with Exxon, Standard of California, Texaco and Mobil. The government has contracted to take over 51% of Aramco by 1982—and, according to reports last week, may demand 100% much sooner.