In several country the deregulation of the oil & gas industry has led to privatization of the former state-owned companies. As a result, the competitive environment has become more hostile. The change of ownership, together with modification in the competitive environment, have caused significant modifications in the competitive strategies. While companies did not use to have clear competitive strategies, after privatization they start to show clear patterns of differentiation strategies while at the same time they seek cost parity in the industry. The present research indicates that Porter's (1980) and Mintzberg's (1988) typology seem to be appropriate to classify oil companies' strategies. Porter's typology has two point in its favor: it is more parsimonious and if exhibits uniqueness of strategic type (i.e., each company would be classified in one, and only one, category of the model). On the other hand, Mintzberg's typology offers greater detail and descriptive power.
Competitive strategies; market strategies; competitive advantage; oil & gas
