U.S. petroleum company based in New York City; third largest industrial corporation in the U.S.; named Standard Oil of New Jersey until 1972; formerly part of the giant Standard Oil Company founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1882, but broken up in antitrust action in 1913; involved in petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear fuels, chemicals, ores, pipelines, tanker ships; numerous acquisitions of other companies over the years; used trade name ESSO 1926–72; has operations in at least 80 countries; ship Exxon Valdez involved in disastrous Alaskan oil spill March 24, 1989.