The merger reunites two of the biggest remnants of the 1911 government breakup of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil empire. Company officials said they would comply with government requirements that the new oil giant sell 2,431 of its nearly 16,000 gas stations, specifically those in the Northeast, Texas and California, as well as a refinery and other assets.
None are in the Coastal Bend.
The buyer of Mobil-branded fuel can use the name for up to 10 years. The FTC noted Exxon's and Mobil's retail market dominance in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, in Texas, and in California where in many areas they accounted for 20 percent to 35 percent of the retail gasoline markets. The agency also singled out concerns about refining operations in California and some shipping terminals in the Northeast. D.C. Sales will be monitored The new company also will have to dispose of some pipeline and other assets, including 12 stations in Guam. No specific buyers were required, and in many cases gasoline will still be marketed with Mobil or Exxon brand names, officials said.