.....BP is a British-based global energy company which is the third largest energy company and the fourth largest company in the world. A multinational oil company ("oil major"), BP is the United Kingdom's largest corporation, with its head office in St James's, City of Westminster, London. BP America's headquarters is in the One Westlake Park in the Energy Corridor area of Houston, Texas. The company is among the largest private sector energy corporations in the world and is one of the six "supermajors" (vertically integrated private sector oil exploration, natural gas, and petroleum product marketing companies). The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Since the 20 April 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon, in which 11 people died, and subsequent oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, BP's public standing and stock value have dropped substantially, losing nearly half of its market capitalisation. The disaster, involving a leaking deep water oil well, has devastated a vast area of the United States marine environment, killed marine life, and had a serious impact on the local fishing industry. Efforts at containing the spill...well..whatever..
