Half of the top 20 world’s largest corporations in the Fortune Global 500 list are oil and natural gas operators, with three based in the United States — ExxonMobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and Phillips 66 — the magazine reported on Monday.

The latest listing, which breaks down the numbers by revenue, provides a snapshot view of how the world operates and what the biggest companies do. Half of the top 20 list is energy-focused, and Asia Pacific operators appear to be are growing in strength. Eighty-nine Chinese-based companies are on this year’s Fortune listing, versus 73 a year ago. About 130 U.S.-based companies are on the latest list. There were fewer European-based companies than in years past, Fortune noted.

Supermajor Royal Dutch Shell plc, which has operations across the world, repeated as No. 1 on the Fortune list, with $481.7 billion in revenues, 0.6% more than in 2011. Profit-wise, Shell ranked No. 7 at $26.59 billion, $14 million lower year/year. It was in 83rd place for assets, with $360.3 billion, was No. 251 for the number of employees, with 87,000.

Wal-Mart Stores came in at No. 2 with revenue at $469.2 billion, up 5%. It was 16th in terms of profits, and its 2.2 million member workforce earned a No. 1 ranking.

Former No. 2 ExxonMobil fell one spot, with revenues were $449.89 billion, down 0.7% from 2011. The supermajor claimed the No. 1 spot for profits with $44.88 billion — 9.3% higher year/year — and it was No. 86 in terms of assets, which totaled $333.79 billion. The 88,000-member workforce ranked No. 245.

In its listing of the world’s most profitable companies, Forbes magazine in April said ExxonMobil also had earned the most profits and was No. 2 in market value, trailing Apple (see Daily GPI, April 22).

Two Chinese-based oil and gas operators rounded out the top five, with Sinopec Group at No. 4, up one spot from a year ago.

“The company continues to grow despite peculiar circumstances — it looks, in many ways, like a multinational, except it’s exposed to the Chinese government’s control over oil and gas prices,” Forbes said of Sinopec. Fifth place belongs to China National Petroleum, which gained one spot.

BP plc, which employs more people in the United States than anywhere else, continues to revamp after the Macondo well blowout in 2010. It dropped to sixth place from No. 4. U.S.-based Chevron Corp. dropped to No. 11 from No. 8.

Chevron, which is the “world’s third-largest oil company by market value, saw another strong year on better performance from its refining business,” noted Fortune. “Chevron’s 2012 earnings of $26.2 billion are the second highest result in company history, behind $26.9 billion in 2011.

“But 2013 has begun on a challenging note for the energy giant with lower oil prices and weakening demand lowering profits in the first quarter. Even as demand remains challenging, the company is spending $36.7 billion on exploration and refinery upgrades to bolster oil and gas output, after it fell to a four-year low in 2012.”

China-owned State Grid, the country’s largest power distributor, remained at No. 7, while Toyota Motor moved to No. 8 and Volkswagen rose to No. 9. France’s Total SA climbed to No. 10 from 11th. Glencore Xstrata was No. 12, Japan Post Holdings was 13th, and Samsung Electronics followed at No. 14.

German utility E.ON came in at No. 15, while U.S.-based refiner Phillips 66, which spun off from Marathon Oil Corp., was No. 16, tied with Italy’s Eni SpA. U.S. investor Berkshire Hathaway moved to No. 18 while Apple was 19th. European insurer Axa was No. 20, up from 25.

Also of note was Russia’s natural gas giant OAO Gazprom, which fell to No. 21 from last year’s No. 15; General Electric, at No. 24 from No. 22; and Brazil producer Petroleos Brasilerio, or Petrobras, which moved to No. 25, versus No. 23 a year ago. U.S. refining company Valero Energy was No. 27, while Mexico’s Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) came in at No. 36 from No. 34.

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