Oil Rig Photos

Marathon Oil Corporation NYSE: MRO, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a worldwide oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Principal exploration activities are in the United States, Norway, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Canada. Principal development activities are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. In addition, Marathon operates other businesses that market and transport its own and third-party natural gas, crude oil and products manufactured from natural gas, such as liquefied natural gas and methanol, primarily in the United States, Europe and West Africa. Marathon's headquarters facility is the Marathon Oil Tower.

Marathon began as The Ohio Oil Company in 1887. In 1889, it was purchased by John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil trust. It remained a part of Standard Oil until the trust was broken in 1911. In 1930, The Ohio bought the Transcontinental Oil Company, giving it the Marathon brand name. In 1962, the company changed its name to "Marathon Oil Company" after its main brand name.