The improvement in earnings reflected higher U.S. natural gas realizations and refining margins, both of which were very strong early in the second quarter, but declined significantly as the quarter progressed, ... The decline in these key earnings drivers, along with crude oil prices, has continued into the third quarter.

By putting Mobil and Exxon together ... particularly in the upstream, we will have a portfolio that will diversify our asset base so that we can become a better competitor than we are now,

In order to gain the tools to fully address the broad impact of business on society, economic success is indispensable.

In the exploration and production area, for example, Mobil's and Exxon's respective strengths in West Africa, the Caspian region, Russia, South America and North America line up well, with minimal overlap, ... Our respective deepwater assets and deepwater technology also complement each other well.

If there's an excise tax, what that means is over the cycle we're going to have less earnings than we would have had, and therefore our ability and our willingness to invest is going to diminish.

I'm not trying to criticize the traders, ... Obviously, the probability of a shortage is higher than it has been in the past.

I view energy as the lifeblood of world economic activity. And as a result, the energy industry has a profile that is particularly acute.

It's profits that make the companies run and make the economy run.

You should be down asking your representatives in Congress how did they let this happen? They had been told for two years this was going to happen.

You shouldn't be talking to me. You should be down asking your representatives in Congress how did they let this happen.