Global 500 rank: 4 (Previous rank: 4)
2006 Revenues (millions): $274,316
Headquarters: London
Country: Britain
Get quote: BP
BP's oil spill in March 2006, one of the largest ever in Alaska, launched company and congressional investigations that led to the shutdown of two pipelines. The spill followed an explosion at a Texas refinery in 2005. Thanks to these slowdowns and the rising costs of repairs, BP's profits fell 1.5% last year, to $22 billion, even as high oil prices pushed revenues up 2.5%.
See more Global 500 data for BP
4. BP
|  Old-economy outfits top Fortune's annual Global 500 list, thanks to rising oil prices and a slew of mergers that drove record profits. (more)  Exxon Mobil leads our list of top earners this year. Which other companies are among the most profitable on the planet? (more)  Which automaker lost a whopping $12.6 billion last year? And just how far into the red are stalwarts like Goodyear and Tyson Foods? (more) |
