OxyChem

OxyChem, also known as Occidental Chemical Corporation, is a chemical manufacturing business historically operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, commonly known as Oxy. The company focuses on chlor-alkali chemistry and related manufacturing processes, supplying basic and intermediate chemicals used across industrial, construction, water-treatment, and other commercial applications. Its principal area of expertise is the chlor-alkali chain. This industrial chemistry platform supports the manufacture and sale of products such as chlorine, caustic soda, and related derivatives, although the precise product portfolio can vary by facility and market. OxyChem is also associated with vinyl products and chlorinated organic chemicals, giving it a position across several connected segments of the basic-chemicals value chain. These materials are used by downstream customers in areas including plastics and building materials, industrial processing, sanitation and water treatment, and other manufacturing operations. The business has historically been strategically important within Occidental Petroleum because chemical operations provide a business distinct from Occidental’s exploration and production activities. Its operations are tied to large-scale manufacturing assets, feedstock availability, transportation infrastructure, environmental and process-safety requirements, and long-term industrial customer relationships. As a result, OxyChem’s competitive profile is based less on consumer-facing branding than on production reliability, technical capability, product quality, regulatory compliance, and the economics of integrated chemical operations. OxyChem remained a wholly owned Occidental subsidiary until Occidental began negotiating a sale to Berkshire Hathaway in October 2025. Berkshire Hathaway announced on January 2, 2026, that it had completed the acquisition for $9.7 billion. Following that transaction, OxyChem became part of Berkshire Hathaway’s privately held corporate portfolio while continuing to operate as a chemical manufacturing business. Publicly available reference material identifies the company’s principal expertise and ownership history but does not establish a separate consumer brand architecture, a complete current executive roster, or a comprehensive list of individual product trademarks.

OxyChem is the chemical manufacturing arm historically associated with Occidental Petroleum Corporation. The company developed as a major industrial chemicals business rather than as a consumer-facing brand, with its activities centered on chlor-alkali chemistry and connected chemical processes. Its role within Occidental’s portfolio was to manufacture and market basic and intermediate chemicals for industrial customers while the parent company concentrated heavily on oil and gas activities. The company’s principal technical area is the chlor-alkali chain. Chlor-alkali production is a foundational part of the chemical industry because it provides chlorine and caustic soda, which serve as inputs for numerous downstream products and processes. OxyChem’s related activities also include vinyl products and chlorinated organic chemicals. These product families connect the business to construction materials, plastics, industrial manufacturing, sanitation, and water treatment. The company’s customers are therefore primarily business and institutional users rather than household consumers purchasing products under the OxyChem name. OxyChem’s business model depends on continuous industrial production, access to raw materials and energy, specialized equipment, logistics, and compliance with environmental and process-safety requirements. Its market position is consequently shaped by manufacturing scale, operating efficiency, technical know-how, and the ability to supply consistent chemical products to downstream manufacturers. Public reference material does not provide a complete chronology of plant construction, product-line introductions, executive appointments, or geographic expansion, so those details are not stated here. For many years OxyChem was wholly owned by Occidental Petroleum. In October 2025, Occidental decided to begin negotiations for a sale of the chemical business to Berkshire Hathaway. The transaction represented a change in the company’s ownership structure and separated OxyChem from its long-standing oil-and-gas parent. Berkshire Hathaway announced on January 2, 2026, that it had completed the acquisition for $9.7 billion. OxyChem subsequently became part of Berkshire Hathaway’s private portfolio of operating businesses. The available reference material does not indicate that the OxyChem operating name or its core chemical focus was discontinued after the acquisition.

• 2026

  Berkshire Hathaway completes the acquisition

  [1]OxyChemen.wikipedia.org

  Berkshire Hathaway announced completion of its acquisition of OxyChem for $9.7 billion.

• 2025

  Occidental starts sale negotiations

  [1]OxyChemen.wikipedia.org

  Occidental Petroleum began negotiating the sale of OxyChem to Berkshire Hathaway after the business had operated as a wholly owned subsidiary.

A large-scale industrial chemical manufacturer built around chlor-alkali expertise and related basic-chemical production.

• Basic chemicals

  Chlor-alkali products

  OxyChem’s core area of expertise is chlor-alkali chemistry, a major industrial platform associated with chlorine, caustic soda, and related products. These chemicals are used as feedstocks or processing agents in manufacturing, sanitation, water treatment, and other industrial applications. The business is characterized by large-scale production and supply to commercial and industrial customers rather than direct consumer retail.

• Vinyl chemicals and materials

  Vinyl products

  Vinyl products form a related part of OxyChem’s chemical portfolio. They support downstream applications connected with plastics, construction, and industrial manufacturing. The available reference material identifies vinyl as a principal business area but does not specify a complete list of current grades, brands, facilities, or individual product launch dates.

• Specialty and intermediate chemicals

  Chlorinated organic chemicals

  OxyChem produces chlorinated organic chemicals associated with its broader chlor-alkali and related-process expertise. Such products are generally used as industrial intermediates or functional chemicals in downstream manufacturing. Public reference material confirms this product area but does not provide enough detail to identify every current product or application without risking unsupported claims.

• 2026

  Berkshire Hathaway completes OxyChem acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Berkshire Hathaway announced that it had completed the purchase of OxyChem from Occidental Petroleum.

  Action taken

  Berkshire Hathaway acquired OxyChem for $9.7 billion.

  Aftermath

  OxyChem became a Berkshire Hathaway-owned chemical business, with no reported change in the available reference material to its core operating focus.

  Acquisition value. $9.7 billion (Transaction completed January 2, 2026)

  Source

• 2025

  Occidental opens negotiations to sell OxyChemM&A

  Background

  OxyChem had been a wholly owned chemical subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum. In October 2025, Occidental began negotiating a sale of the business to Berkshire Hathaway.

  Action taken

  Occidental pursued the divestiture of OxyChem through negotiations with Berkshire Hathaway.

  Aftermath

  The negotiations led to Berkshire Hathaway’s completed acquisition announcement in January 2026.

  Source

• 2026

  Berkshire Hathaway completes acquisition of OxyChem[1]OxyChemen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Berkshire Hathaway announced that it had completed the acquisition of OxyChem from Occidental Petroleum for $9.7 billion.

• 2025

  Occidental begins negotiating the sale of OxyChem to Berkshire Hathaway[1]OxyChemen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Occidental Petroleum began negotiations to sell its wholly owned chemical subsidiary, OxyChem, to Berkshire Hathaway.

1. 1OxyChemen.wikipedia.org