Exxon-Mobil dominant in industry shake-out

The wave of mega-mergers affecting the oil industry will have an impact on projects across the African continent – especially if corporate restructuring is used by the majors to explain their reluctance to push ahead with projects during a period of low oil prices, which now seems set to blight the industry for at least months to come. It is unclear whether the merger trend's impact on often divergent corporate cultures will have a radical affect on African operations. Will, for example, the more cautious philosophy of Exxon prevail in assessing where to project the forces of the world's biggest oil company, or will the traditionally more cavalier Mobil corporate ethos prevail? For several African governments, this could prove a critical issue.