Mobil Oil Corporation, is a petroleum brand owned and operated by American oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil, formerly known as Exxon, which took its name after it and Mobil merged in 1999.
A direct descendant of Standard Oil, Mobil was originally known as the Standard Oil Company of New York (shortened to Socony) after Standard Oil was split into 43 different entities in a 1911 Supreme Court decision. Socony merged with Vacuum Oil Company, from which the Mobil name first originated, in 1931 and subsequently renamed itself to "Socony-Vacuum Oil Company".[2] Over time, Mobil became the company's primary identity, which prompted a renaming in 1955 to the "Socony Mobil Oil Company", and then in 1966 to the "Mobil Oil Corporation". Mobil credits itself as the first company to introduce paying at the pump at its gas stations, the first company to produce aviation fuel, as well as the first company to introduce a mobile payment device, called Speedpass.[3][1]
In 1998, Mobil announced it was merging with Exxon to form ExxonMobil, reuniting the two largest descendants of Standard Oil. The technicalities of the merger, which was completed on November 30, 1999, showed that Exxon bought Mobil, and Mobil shareholders received a payment of stock in Exxon.[4][5] Mobil continues as a brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with its own store or On the Run. Mobil's brand name is primarily used to market motor oils, such as Mobil 1. The former Mobil headquarters in Fairfax County, Virginia, was used as ExxonMobil's downstream headquarters[6] until 2015 when ExxonMobil consolidated employees into a new corporate campus in Spring, Texas.[7]
History
Brands
Mobil continues to operate as a major brandname of ExxonMobil within the ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties division.[8] Many of its products feature the Mobil symbol of a red winged horse, Pegasus, which has been a company trademark since its affiliation with Magnolia Petroleum Company in the 1930s.
The Mobil brand now mainly covers a wide range of automotive, industrial, aviation and marine lubricants.[9] For historic reasons, the Mobil brand is still used by Mobil service stations and for fuel (gasoline, diesel, heating oil, kerosene, aviation fuels and marine fuel) products.
There are four main Mobil sub-brands:
Mobil Gasoline
Mobil is ExxonMobil's primary retail gasoline brand in California, Florida, New York, New England, the Great Lakes and the Midwest. The Mobil brand is also used to market gasoline in Australia, Canada (since 2017), Colombia, Egypt, Guam, Japan (until 2019), Malaysia (until 2012), Mexico (starting about first quarter of 2018), New Zealand, Nigeria, Puerto Rico (since 2022) and Guyana (since 2024).
The Mobil brand has a significant market presence in the following metropolitan areas:
Mobil stores have made an increased presence in Arizona. Growing in size in the Phoenix area from fewer than 5 stations to over 20 in the mid-2010s, but in recent years the number of stations dwindled down back to 5.[10] Mobil previously had a greater presence in the Phoenix area up until April 2009, when ExxonMobil sold 43 area stores to Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent company of Circle K, as part of a sale of the larger On the Run franchise. The stores were rebranded to Circle K, ending Mobil's presence in the Phoenix area until the mid-2010s.[11] At the time, the closest Mobil locations were in Tonopah and Wickenburg, Arizona, both of which were unaffected by the sale as both locations were not On the Run franchises.[12][13]
Also in the 2010s, Mobil stores have made an increased presence in Colorado, particularly in the Denver area, and in areas of northwest Oregon, southwest Washington, and northern California.
Exxon is the primary brand in the rest of the United States, with the highest concentration of Exxon retail outlets located in New Jersey (both Exxon and Mobil brands are used from 2014), Pennsylvania, Texas (Mobil has a sizeable number of stations in Dallas and Houston), Louisiana (mainly New Orleans as well as Baton Rouge) and in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states. Esso is ExxonMobil's primary gasoline brand worldwide. Both the Esso and Mobil brands are used in Canada (since 2017),[14] Colombia, Egypt, and formerly Japan and Malaysia, in which the latter were rebranded as Petron in 2013, and ENEOS for the former in 2019, separately. In Esso stations in Hong Kong and Singapore, the Mobil brand is used on fuel tanks, along with Esso.
- New York metropolitan area (including New Jersey since 2014)
- Detroit
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Minneapolis-St. Paul
- Boston
- Buffalo
- St. Louis
- Tampa-St. Petersburg
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale
- Rochester-Syracuse
- Orlando
- Milwaukee
- Providence
- Albany
- Hartford
Mobil 1
Mobil 1, the successor to the Mobiloil brand, is a brand name of Exxon/ESSO Mobil. It was introduced in 1974 as a Multi-grade 5W20 viscosity synthetic motor oil. The brand now includes multi-grade motor oils, oil filters, synthetic grease, transmission fluids, and gear lubricants.[15] The Esso and Exxon motor oil brands have largely been discontinued.
Mobil Delvac
Mobil Delvac (from 'Diesel Engine Lubricant Vacuum') is a range of heavy-duty lubricants designed for commercial vehicles. The range includes engine oils, transmission fluids, drivetrain lubricants and various greases.[16]
Mobil Industrial
Mobil Industrial is a sub-brand of ExxonMobil for marketing oils and greases used in industrial applications. The main product lines are Mobil SHC synthetic oils and Mobil Grease greases.[17]
On the Run Convenience Stores
Mobil expanded the sale of convenience store items first pioneered at its discount gasoline stations under the Mobil Mart brand. Mobil continued to refine and enhance its convenience store offerings with the On-the-Run brand, which proved to be much more popular. In 2009, 450 On the Run stores in the United States was sold to Alimentation Couche-Tard, operator of the Circle K convenience store chain.[18] Some other On the Run locations in the United States were sold to 7-Eleven in 2011, which were rebranded as 7-Eleven stores.[19] The franchise locations in Canada were sold to Parkland Corporation in 2016.[20] ExxonMobil continues to own the On the Run stores outside of the US and Canada.[20]
Former brands
Discount gasoline stations
Mobil rebranded numerous stations to the Hi-Val, Reelo and Sello discount gasoline brands after major price increases following the 1970s oil crisis made a significant number of consumers extremely price conscious. The stations were converted Mobil stations selling convenience store items in the station lobby, while the service bays were rented to customers for do-it-yourself auto repairs. These brands were discontinued in the 1980s, after the gasoline market had recovered.[21]
Mobil Travel Guide
The Mobil Guide was an annual book of hotel and restaurant recommendations based on a system developed by Mobil in 1958. It rated businesses from one to five stars according to their assessed quality. In October 2009, ExxonMobil licensed the brand to Forbes magazine, which retitled the guide's various designations, e.g., Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes Five Stars, and so on. Forbes launched revised versions of various guides in late 2009.[22][23]
Mobil outside of the United States
Mobil UK
Vacuum Oil Company started selling lubricating oils in Europe in the late 19th century.[24] In 1885, the company established its European marketing organization in Liverpool, setting up small works in 1896 and 1901.[25] By the 1930s its Mobiloil had become one of the main brands. Mobil gradually expanded its operation into fuels retailing as well, and opened its first UK service stations in the early 1950s, after the wartime POOL monopoly was disbanded. Mobil grew to become the seventh largest brand of petrol in Britain, supplying 1,990 outlets in 1965, and claimed in the mid-1960s to be the first company to operate 100 self-service stations. As well as its downstream interests, Mobil was active in the North Sea and operated an oil refinery in Coryton (opened in 1953), on the Thames estuary. In 1996, Mobil's fuels operations in Europe were placed into a joint venture 70% owned by BP, and the Mobil brand disappeared from service stations. Mobil continued to sell lubricants through BP and independent service stations. Following Mobil's merger with Exxon, at the start of 2000 BP acquired all the petrol retailing assets as well as the Coryton refinery (but sold it to Petroplus in 2007). Mobil returned to being purely a lubricant brand in Europe, and became the premium quality oil on sale at Esso service stations.
Mobil Australia
The Vacuum Oil Company began operating in Australia in 1895, introducing its Plume brand of petrol in 1916. The Flying Red Horse (Pegasus) logo was introduced in 1939, and in 1954, the Plume brand was replaced by Mobilgas.
Mobil Australia's corporate office is in Melbourne. In 1946, Mobil began construction of its refinery at Altona, in Melbourne's western suburbs, which originally produced lubricating oils and bitumen, before commencing the production of motor vehicle fuels in 1956. A second refinery at Port Stanvac, south of Adelaide, came on-stream in 1963, but was closed in 2003.[26] Mobil commenced removal of the refinery in July 2009, together with site remediation works.[27]
In 1985, Mobil swapped its Western Australian retail market with a large portion of BP's South Australian, Victorian and New South Wales retail market in a major asset swap.[28] In 1990, Mobil acquired the service station and refining network of Esso Australia.[28] This also resulted in Mobil's full ownership of Petroleum Refineries (Australia) Pty Ltd, which also operated the Altona and Adelaide Refineries. In December 1995, Mobil re-entered the West Australian retail fuel market when it purchased the Amgas service station network and related business.[28]
On 27 May 2009, Caltex Australia announced it would be acquiring 302 Mobil service stations in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide, subject to approval of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).[29] The ACCC subsequently announced its opposition to the takeover, citing the likelihood of increased fuel prices due to diminished competition.[30]
On 27 May 2010, 7-Eleven announced that it had acquired Mobil's Australian network of 295 service stations, with fuel still to be supplied by Mobil.[31][32][33] At the same time, it was announced that out of the 295 stations, 7-Eleven had sold 29 South Australian service stations to Peregrine Corporation.[34] Peregrine's acquisition saw Mobil's sites in South Australia rebranded to On the Run (later OTR) convenience stores, but they continued to be supplied by Mobil until most were switched to BP. Meanwhile, since January 2012, all fuel in 7-Eleven stores is supplied by Mobil.[35] 7-Eleven store renovations and openings since 2014 have included prominent placement of the Mobil logo (as the advertised fuel supplier), usually underneath the 7-Eleven logo, on main signage as well as on petrol pumps.[36]
After the 7-Eleven sale, Mobil has since returned to the country with its own-branded service stations. As of October 2022, Mobil operates 229 own-branded service stations across the country; the majority in the Australian east coast (except Tasmania) and South Australia. There were also a few in Western Australia.[37]
Mobil New Zealand
Mobil is the oldest oil company in New Zealand. Its kerosene first appeared in the country under the Standard Oil brand in the 1870s. Early in 1896, Vacuum Oil of New York established a marketing office on Featherston Street in Wellington selling lamp oil and harness grease. It brought with it extensive collective production, marketing and management skills that presented a major advancement in business organisation. The company's unrivaled mineral lubricant products and associated services quickly dominated the market.[38]
When New Zealanders began taking to the motorcar in the early twentieth century, Vacuum Oil expanded into the oil refining business. Its marketing network and transportation fleet grew as it extended its range of operation. The company continued to meet New Zealand's fuel needs throughout World War One, holding roughly 85 percent of the market. After the war, Vacuum Oil began facing very strong competition, with a number of multinational oil companies which establishing operations in New Zealand. Among these competitors was the Atlantic Union Oil Company, another of the companies from which ExxonMobil is descended.
Atlantic Union was bought by the New Jersey–based Standard Oil Company, which would later become Exxon, and its eastern hemisphere interests were merged with those of Socony-Vacuum Oil Company to create the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company. The new company continued operations in New Zealand under both the Vacuum and Atlantic Union brand names.
On November 30, 1999, Exxon Corporation and Mobil Oil Corporation merged with Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited now owned by new entity ExxonMobil. The company currently owns a 17.2 percent share in The New Zealand Refining Company Limited which operates an oil refinery at Marsden Point. It supplies roughly 20 percent of the total fuels market in New Zealand, for which most of its products are sourced from the Marsden Point refinery. Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited has more than 150 locations across the country, some of which are franchisee-owned. It also operates six storage locations across the country and maintains a reputation as a dominant petroleum company in New Zealand.[39] [40][41]
Mobil New Zealand has 167 stations as of 2022, including 68 in Auckland. Its stations included 121 company-owned and 46 franchisee-owned outlets.[38]
Mobil in Mongolia
In Mongolia, Mobil brand is distributed by Petrovis Oil LLC. Petrovis Oil is subsidiary of Petrovis Group and the first distributor and official distributor in Mongolia of the Mobil brand.[42][43]
Mobil in Japan
Since the 1960s, Esso and Mobil stations in Japan had been run by Tōnen General Sekiyu, which had a controlling stake owned by ExxonMobil. In 2012, the company bought out much of ExxonMobil's stake, reducing it to a 22% minority. In 2016, ExxonMobil sold the remainder of its stake.[44]
In 2017, the company announced that it would merge with JX Group to form JXTG Holdings, with its petroleum business operating as JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy. Following the merger, it was announced that both the Esso and Mobil brands would be phased out by 2020, and replaced by the Eneos EneJet banner.[45]
Mobil in Canada
In April 2017, Loblaw Companies sold its network of 213 gas stations (all of which are attached to its various grocery store locations with the exception of its McKercher Drive and Edinburgh Place location off 8th Street East in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which the pumps at that one is operated by a 7-Eleven location that was converted to Mobil in the summer of 2023) to Brookfield Business Partners. Brookfield (operating as BG Fuels)[46] announced that it would license the Mobil brand from ExxonMobil for use on these locations, making them a sister to Imperial Oil's network of Esso-branded gas stations in Canada. As part of the sale agreement, the Mobil stations continue to offer Loblaw's PC Optimum rewards program (which Esso also joined the following year).[47][48]
BG Fuels stated that it would open further Mobil stations beyond the Loblaw properties.[49] BG Fuels later merged with Greenergy, and adopted the new brand Waypoint for convenience stores associated with its fuel properties.[46][50] In 2023, Greenergy sold its Canadian retail operations to Global Fuels.[51]
Mobil Egypt
In Egypt, ExxonMobil's operations started in 1902, it is known for providing lubricants and fuels as well as convenience products. It offers more than 350 service stations, more than 40 Mobil 1 centers and a variety of industrial products, lubrication programs and services. Some stations in Cairo, Alexandria and Giza feature On the Run convenience stores.[52][53]
Mobil Portugal
Vacuum Oil Company started its operations in Portugal in 1896. In 1941, it became the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company and in 1952, it was renamed Socony Vacuum Portuguesa. In 1955, it became the Mobil Oil Portuguesa. Vacuum Oil was involved in the support of the first auto sports events in Portugal, as well as being responsible for the edition of first road maps and auto drivers guides in the country. Between 1920 and 1928, Vacuum Oil had an important role in the traffic signage of the roads of Portugal, installing thousands of road signs which included the identification of their sponsor, making the company known throughout the country. Along its history, Mobil was pioneer in a number of aspect of the oil business in the country, including the introduction of the first metering pumps, the first network of self-service filling stations and the first motorway service area. The Mobil brand disappeared from the Portuguese service stations in 1996, in the scope of the European joint-venture with BP. In 2000, at the time being the oldest oil company operating in Portugal, Mobil Oil Portuguesa was acquired by BP and disbanded.[54]
Leadership
President
- 1) William Avery Rockefeller Jr., 1892–1911
- 2) Henry Clay Folger Jr., 1911–1923
- 3) Herbert Lee Pratt, 1923–1928
- 4) Charles Francis Meyer, 1928–1931
- 5) Charles Edward Arnott, 1931–1935
- 6) John Albert Brown, 1935–1944
- 7) Benjamin Brewster Jennings, 1944–1955
- 8) Albert Lindsay Nickerson Jr., 1955–1961
- 9) Herbert Willetts, 1961–1964
- 10) Rawleigh Warner Jr., 1965–1969
- 11) William Peter Tavoulareas, 1969–1984
- 12) Allen Edward Murray, 1985–1993
- 13) Lucio Anthony Noto, 1993–1998
- 14) Eugene Andrew Renna, 1998–1999
Chairman of the Board
- 1) Henry Clay Folger Jr., 1923–1928
- 2) Herbert Lee Pratt, 1928–1935
- 3) Harold Frank Sheets, 1944–1948
- 4) George Van Syckle Holton, 1948–1955
- 5) Benjamin Brewster Jennings, 1955–1958
- 6) Fred William Bartlett, 1958–1961
- 7) Albert Lindsay Nickerson Jr., 1961–1969
- 8) Rawleigh Warner Jr., 1969–1986
- 9) Allen Edward Murray, 1986–1994
- 10) Lucio Anthony Noto, 1994–1999
See also
- Mobil Showcase Network
- Previous headquarters buildings
- Socony-Mobil Building
- 26 Broadway
External links
References
- Exxon, Mobil to sell European assets Dallas Business Journal, September 29, 1999, retrieved 2022-09-17^
- Jeffrey B. Webb, Christopher R. Fee. Energy in American History: A Political, Social, and Environmental Encyclopedia [2 volumes] Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2024^
- Our History www.exxon.com, retrieved 2021-12-07^
- Allen R. Myerson. The Lion and the Moose - How 2 Executives Pulled off the Biggest Merger Ever The New York Times, 4 December 1998, retrieved 24 July 2010^
- B. Rajesh Kumar. ExxonMobil Merger Wealth Creation in the World’s Largest Mergers and Acquisitions: Integrated Case Studies, Springer International Publishing, 2019, retrieved 2022-09-15^
- Mobil Corporation Americancompanies.com, retrieved 2010-07-25^
- Our Houston campus Exxonmobil.com, retrieved 2015-10-01^
- Exxon/ESSO Mobil Press Release ExxonMobil.com, retrieved 2012-04-03^
- Lubricants Mobil.com, retrieved 2012-04-03^
- Exxon and Mobil Stations - Find a gas station near me (map of stations in the Phoenix area) retrieved 4 December 2024^
- Couche-Tard Acquires ExxonMobil Franchised On the Run Stores Convenience Store News, April 29, 2012, retrieved January 17, 2025^
- Mobil station in Tonopah, Arizona in 2011 Google Maps / Google Street View, July 2011, retrieved January 17, 2025^
- Mobil station in Wickenburg, Arizona in 2011 Google Maps / Google Street View, July 2011, retrieved January 17, 2025^
- Mobil Gas Stations in Canada | Esso retrieved 2018-04-29^
- Mobil 1 and Mobil Super motor oil and synthetic motor oil - Mobil Motor Oils Mobiloil.com, retrieved 2011-05-01^
- Mobil Delvac ExxonMobil, retrieved 2017-04-02^
- Mobil Industrial website MobilIndustrial.com, retrieved 2012-04-03^
- Couche-Tard Acquires ExxonMobil Franchised On the Run Stores Convenience Store News^
- 7-Eleven Signs Agreement with ExxonMobil To Acquire 51 North Texas Locations PR Newswire, 16 Aug 2011^
- Greg Lindenberg. Parkland to Expand On the Run in the U.S. CSP Daily News, 2020-09-10, retrieved 2026-03-02^
- James B. Delaney and Robert N. Fenili. The State of Competition in Gasoline Marketing: The Effects of Refiner Operations at Retail United States Department of Energy, May 1980, retrieved 2020-11-17^
- Mobil Travel Guide to become Forbes Travel Guide USA Today, Associated Press, 2009-08-04, retrieved 2017-12-14^
- Carly Zinderman. Hotel Rankings: Forbes Merges with Mobil International Business Times, 2009-12-03^
- Frank A. Southard. American Industry in Europe Taylor & Francis, 2000^
- Alfred Dupont Chandler, Takashi Hikino, Alfred D. Chandler. Scale and Scope: The Dynamics of Industrial Capitalism Harvard University Press, 2009^
- Jamieson oil industry history Home.austarnet.com.au, retrieved 2010-07-25^
- Mobil news Exxonmobil.com.au, 2009-06-25, retrieved 2010-07-25^
- Mobil history ExxonMobil Australia, retrieved 14 October 2022^
- John Durie. Caltex pumps for control The Australian, May 27, 2009, retrieved 2010-07-25^
- Jamie Freed. Watchdog blocks Caltex bid Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 2009-03-12^
- Mobil sells Australian retail network to 7-Eleven ExxonMobil, 27 May 2010^
- Exxon Mobil sells service station network The Australian, 27 May 2010, retrieved 27 May 2010^
- ExxonMobil sells 295 service stations to 7-Eleven Australian Financial Review, 27 May 2010, retrieved 14 October 2022^
- 7-Eleven buys Mobil sites Australian Financial Review, 28 May 2010, retrieved 16 April 2022^
- Mobil secures 7-Eleven fuels supply contract ExxonMobil, 10 June 2011^
- ExxonMobil and 7-Eleven sign agreement to return Mobil brand to 7-Eleven network in Australia ExxonMobil, 9 January 2014^
- Find a petrol station near you Mobil Australia, retrieved 14 October 2022^
- Mobil mobil.co.nz, ExxonMobil^
- Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited is New Zealand's oldest oil company, with predecessor companies having first established a presence in the country in 1896. ExxonMobil, retrieved 2016-06-27^
- ExxonMobil subsidiaries have a business history in New Zealand stretching back more than 120 years. We are involved in petroleum refining and distribution and the marketing of fuels, lubricants and chemical products. ExxonMobil, retrieved 2016-06-27^
- Mobil stations | Mobil New Zealand retrieved 2016-06-27^
- Oils and Lubricants petrovis.mn^
- Introduction^
- Michael J. de la Merced. Exxon Mobil to Sell Its Japanese Arm for $3.9 Billion The New York Times, January 29, 2012, retrieved December 4, 2018^
- Gas station merger will end Esso and Mobil's long run in Japan Nikkei Asian Review, retrieved 2018-12-04^
- New south end gas station to celebrate grand opening on Saturday GuelphToday.com, 17 October 2019, retrieved 2022-06-23^
- Esso moves to affiliate itself with PC Optimum, no longer Aeroplan, in loyalty point switch CBC News, retrieved 2018-03-14^
- Mobil brand of gas stations to launch in Canada after deal for 213 Loblaws-owned locations CBC News, retrieved 2017-10-28^
- Mobil Nears Completion of Rebranding 200 Loblaw Gas Stations Retail Insider, retrieved 2018-10-06^
- BG Fuels will trade as Greenergy. www.greenergy.com, retrieved 2022-06-24^
- Global Fuels to acquire U.K.-based Greenergy's Canadian gas station network Toronto Star, 2023-07-07, retrieved 2025-06-01^
- Learn about ExxonMobil's operations in Egypt ExxonMobil, retrieved 2018-07-03^
- Petrol and Diesel Service Stations in Egypt - Mobil fuels.mobil.com.eg, retrieved 2022-01-25^
- Mobil Oil Portuguesa restosdecoleccao.blogspot.com/, retrieved 2022-12-20^