Exxon announces record profit  

The SMH has an article on Exxon’s latest record profit announcement - Oil giant earns $10b in three months

Exxon earned nearly $US11 billion ($A10.15 billion) in the first quarter, a performance likely to land it in the centre of the national debate over high gasoline prices.
The world's largest publicly traded company on Thursday reported net income of $US10.65 billion ($A9.83 billion), or $US2.14 per share, in the first three months of the year. That compares with $US6.3 billion ($A5.81 billion), or $US1.33 per share a year ago. Revenue increased 26 per cent to $US114 billion ($A105.2 billion).

The results surpassed Wall Street estimates of $US2.04 per share on sales of $US112.6 billion ($A103.91 billion), according to FactSet.

The quarter was Exxon's best since it earned a record $US14.83 billion ($A13.69 billion) in 2008's third quarter. It comes at a time when some drivers are paying $US4 or more for gas and President Obama is threatening the oil industry's multibillion-dollar tax subsidies.
Earnings grew across the company's business segments. Income from its exploration and production business gained 49 per cent to $US8.7 billion ($A8.03 billion) while the company's downstream business, which includes refineries, posted a huge 30-fold jump to more than $US1.1 billion ($A1.02 billion). …

Europe's largest oil company, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, reported $US8.78 billion ($A8.1 billion) in first-quarter profits, up 60 per cent from a year ago. BP PLC's quarterly earnings rose 16 per cent to $US7.2 billion ($A6.64 billion). ConocoPhillips said net income grew 43 per cent to $US3 billion ($A2.77 billion) and Occidental Petroleum Corp said earnings climbed 46 per cent to $US1.55 billion ($A1.43 billion).

Exxon Mobil Corp increased earnings even though it produced less oil and natural gas liquids. Benchmark crude prices rose 20 per cent from a year ago.
The company has increasingly focused on producing natural gas. Exxon expects natural gas to displace coal as the second most important fuel source within the next decade, and last year it acquired XTO Energy to become the largest US natural gas producer.