Clue 1 · The Basics
U.S. energy company · mega-cap · listed on the NYSE · headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Clue 2 · The Numbers
One of the world's largest independent oil and gas companies, with revenue around $55 billion a year and operations spanning roughly 13 countries.
Clue 3 · The History
Born from the 2002 merger of two storied American oil giants — one founded in the 1870s Oklahoma oil rush, one a Rockefeller-era Standard Oil descendant — that decided two was better than none.
Clue 4 · The Secret
Unlike its 'integrated' rivals, this company deliberately spun off its refining and marketing arm in 2012, choosing to be a pure exploration-and-production play — find it, pump it, sell it, repeat.
Clue 5 · The Lore
It made one of the largest acquisitions in oil history by snapping up Marathon Oil's assets, and its Alaska operations date back to the Prudhoe Bay bonanza of the 1970s.
Clue 6 · The Giveaway
The letters COP on the NYSE tape aren't about law enforcement — they're shorthand for a Houston giant whose name stitches two legendary oil surnames together with a hyphen.