Related: PR Firms Pillar Index · Mining · Aerospace & Defense · Crisis Communications
Oil and gas communications is one of the most operationally demanding specializations in the public relations industry. The sector requires fluency in capital markets, regulatory affairs, political and policy advocacy, environmental and community engagement, crisis, and increasingly the energy transition narrative — often handled simultaneously, often under intense media and activist scrutiny. The agencies below have built durable reputations advising oil and gas majors, independents, oilfield services companies, midstream operators, refiners, and the broader energy ecosystem in 2026.
Edelman. Edelman's Energy practice is among the largest dedicated energy communications operations in the agency world. The firm provides crisis communications, sustainability and ESG advisory, regulatory communications, and stakeholder engagement to traditional oil and gas, clean tech, utilities, and renewable clients.
FleishmanHillard. A long-established energy communications practice with deep capability across oil and gas, renewables, utilities, and sustainability. FleishmanHillard provides media relations, public affairs, crisis communications, and stakeholder engagement to energy companies navigating regulatory, environmental, and reputational challenges.
APCO Worldwide. A Washington, D.C.-headquartered global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy with substantial energy practice depth. APCO advises oil and gas, utilities, clean tech, and renewable clients on regulatory communications, public affairs, investor relations, and crisis. Its Washington, Brussels, and Capitol Hill networks make it particularly relevant for international policy issues.
Brunswick Group. Brunswick's energy practice is concentrated on capital markets, M&A, and high-stakes corporate and crisis communications. The firm has advised on many of the largest energy-sector transactions globally and is a default option for boardroom-level engagements involving major oil and gas companies.
FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications). FTI's strategic communications group includes substantial oil and gas client work, particularly around M&A, restructurings, capital markets transitions, and crisis. The firm's data-driven advisory approach and consulting heritage make it a frequent choice when reputation, valuation, and complex stakeholder issues converge.
Burson. The combined Burson — formed from Burson-Marsteller, Cohn & Wolfe, and Hill+Knowlton — has historical depth in energy communications going back decades. Its practice spans corporate work, public affairs, and crisis, and the firm benefits from one of the deepest networks of senior policy and corporate communicators in the agency world.
MSL. Part of Publicis, MSL has substantial oil and gas client work including Saudi Aramco-related contracts, alongside work across utilities, clean tech, and broader energy infrastructure communications.
Publicis Communications. Publicis Communications, alongside MSL, has held energy-sector contracts including Saudi Aramco work, and supports broader oil and gas, infrastructure, and energy transition clients.
Leo Burnett. Leo Burnett, part of the Publicis network, has historically maintained relationships with Saudi Aramco and other oil clients, with capabilities across creative, digital, and integrated communications relevant to energy brand and corporate work.
Edelman Smithfield. Edelman's financial communications boutique covers energy capital markets, IPO communications, and special situations for oil and gas, clean tech, and infrastructure clients.
rbb Communications. Cited as the fourth-largest energy PR firm in the U.S., rbb has more than 30 years of energy sector experience, working with utilities, renewable companies, and energy technology innovators. Its practice spans media relations, digital marketing, brand storytelling, community relations, thought leadership, and crisis management.
Sard Verbinnen & Co. A leading strategic communications firm in M&A and special situations work, Sard Verbinnen has counseled oil and gas companies through major transactions and contested matters.
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher. Joele Frank has advised oil and gas clients during M&A, activist campaigns, and other special situations, with particular strength in shareholder activism defense and complex transaction communications.
Longacre Square Partners. A communications and special situations advisory firm ranked first for IR/PR advisors on Bloomberg's shareholder activism league tables. The firm advises on transactions, capital raises, contested situations, and crisis across multiple sectors including energy.
Stuntman Public Relations and Pierpont Communications. Houston-based firms with deep regional energy industry roots, both have built durable practices supporting independent oil and gas operators, oilfield services, and energy infrastructure clients in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.
Standing Partnership. A St. Louis-based independent regularly cited in O'Dwyer's energy and industrial communications rankings, with experience supporting energy and energy supplier clients on B2G communications, employee engagement, and reputation.
M&Co (Montieth & Company). A New York-based strategic communications firm with energy and natural resources practice depth, M&Co works with oil and gas, renewable, and infrastructure clients on corporate and financial communications, IR, public affairs, and crisis.
Weber Shandwick. Weber Shandwick's energy practice is part of its broader corporate and public affairs work, with substantial international coverage and experience supporting oil and gas, utilities, and energy transition clients.
For oil and gas companies selecting a communications partner in 2026, the brief drives the choice. Boardroom-level corporate reputation, crisis on the largest mandates, and global multi-market campaigns gravitate toward Edelman, FleishmanHillard, APCO, Brunswick, FTI, Burson, MSL, and Weber Shandwick. Capital markets, M&A, and special situations work gravitates toward Edelman Smithfield, Brunswick, FTI, Sard Verbinnen, Joele Frank, and Longacre Square. Regional and operational work — particularly in the U.S. Gulf Coast — gravitates toward firms with deep Houston and Texas roots like Pierpont.
The defining tension in 2026 oil and gas communications is the simultaneous need to defend traditional production narratives, articulate energy transition strategies, and respond to a rising universe of climate accountability movements scrutinizing agency-client relationships across the industry. The agencies winning the most competitive pitches are the ones combining capital markets discipline with policy fluency, environmental and community engagement experience, and increasingly AI visibility audits and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — managing how energy clients appear in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews when investors, regulators, journalists, and policymakers run their first research queries.
Part of the Everything-PR Guide to Leading PR Firms by Market, Industry, and Region. Sector specialist. See also: Mining Communications Firms · Aerospace and Defense Communications Firms · Who Controls AI Answers in Energy & Climate?
