Hydrocarbon Companies

Because hydrocarbons are the largest energy source in the globe, some of the largest companies in the world are hydrocarbon companies. These primarily include oil and gas companies that mine hydrocarbons and convert them into the energy sources that the world uses to power almost everything.

Out of the top 10 companies in the world, six of them are state-owned. Saudi Aramco is the world's largest oil and gas company while Exxon Mobil (XOM), which is based in the United States, is the world's largest public company. 

Other names in this space include:

- Chevron (CVX)

- Royal Dutch Shell (SHEL)

- PetroChina (PTR)

- National Iranian Oil Company

- Gazprom (GZPM)

- British Petroleum (BP)

The success of these companies and their ability to provide energy sources efficiently and cheaply greatly impact the world's financial markets and economies.

The fluctuations in the price of oil have a great impact on the cost of gasoline for cars, jet fuel for airlines, and gas for heating homes. These costs affect how consumers spend their money; decisions that reverberate throughout the global economy.