Imperial Standard - (Energy Histories, Cultures, and Politics) by Graham D Taylor (Paperback)
About this item
Highlights
- For over 130 years, Imperial Oil dominated Canada's oil industry.
- About the Author: Graham D. Taylor is professor emeritus in the Department of History at Trent University.
- 380 Pages
- Business + Money Management, Industries
- Series Name: Energy Histories, Cultures, and Politics
Description
About the Book
"For over 130 years, Imperial Oil dominated Canada's oil industry. From Petrolia to Turner Valley, Imperial was always nearby and ready to take charge. Their 1947 discovery of crude oil in Leduc, Alberta transformed the industry and the country. But from 1899 onwards, two-thirds of the company was owned by an American giant, making Imperial Oil one of the largest foreign-controlled multinationals in Canada. "Imperial Standard" is the first full-scale history of Imperial Oil. It illuminates Imperial's longstanding connections to Standard Oil of New Jersey, also known as Exxon Mobil. Although this relationship was often beneficial to Imperial, allowing them access to technology and capital, it also came at a cost. During the energy crises of the 1970s and 80s, Imperial was assailed as the embodiment of foreign control of Canada's natural resources, and in the 1990s it followed Exxon's lead in resisting charges that the oil industry contributes to climate change. Graham D. Taylor draws on an extensive collection of primary sources, including both the Imperial Oil and Exxon Mobil archives, to explore the complex relationship between the two companies. This groundbreaking history provides unprecedented insight into one of Canada's most influential oil companies as well as the industry itself."--Book Synopsis
For over 130 years, Imperial Oil dominated Canada's oil industry. Their 1947 discovery of crude oil in Leduc, Alberta transformed the industry and the country. But from 1899 onwards, two-thirds of the company was owned by an American giant, making Imperial Oil one of the largest foreign-controlled multinationals in Canada.
Imperial Standard is the first full-scale history of Imperial Oil. It illuminates Imperial's longstanding connections to Standard Oil of New Jersey, also known as Exxon Mobil. Although this relationship was often beneficial to Imperial, allowing them access to technology and capital, it also came at a cost, causing Imperial to be assailed as the embodiment of foreign control of Canada's natural resources.
Graham D. Taylor draws on an extensive collection of primary sources to explore the complex relationship between the two companies. This groundbreaking history provides unprecedented insight into one of Canada's most influential oil companies as it has grown and evolved with the industry itself.
Review Quotes
Graham D. Taylor draws on the rich archives of Imperial Oil and Exxon-Mobil to provide a detailed comprehensive of the relationship between the Canadian oil company and its main shareholder and investor, Jersey Standard/Exxon.
--Andrew Watson, Canadian Business History
Stated simply, Imperial Standard is an outstanding and accessible account of the Canadian oil industry's most important companies by one of Canada's foremost business historians.
--Paul Chastko, Canadian Journal of History
This is not a simple case study that narrowly analyzes how yet another Canadian firm was swallowed by a U.S. colossus. Imperial Standard reveals a legacy of complicated dynamics-between subsidiary and parent, between corporation and state-and helps us understand the inception of fossil-¬fuelled industrial capitalism in this country.
- Dimitry Anastakis, Literary Review of Canada
About the Author
Graham D. Taylor is professor emeritus in the Department of History at Trent University. He is the author of Du Pont and the International Chemical Industry, and The Rise of Canadian Business and winner of the 2015 Petroleum History Society Best Article Prize.
