British Petroleum is what the “BP” in BP gas stations stands for. The company has been around since 1921, but its name has changed many times over the years.
In 1998, the company bought Amoco and changed its name to BP Amoco. Before it was bought, the company was known as the British Petroleum Company Limited.
The company had something to do with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. It was the largest spill in history, because almost 5 million barrels of oil went into the ocean. Fines and other costs cost BP billions of dollars. The company also admitted to committing 14 crimes.