"The Cartel" was a business conglomerate of several prominent Texas oil companies which included Ewing Oil; the companies were bonded by the IOA, or The Independent Oilman's Association. They vote on various issues internally and then present a united front in political and economic arenas. Within the IOA, there were Cartels - groups of companies that invested in many major corporate business ventures together, such as oil, alternate energies, natural resources, legalized casino gambling, and stocks and securities.