April 30, 2021 (IEEFA) — Despite an extraordinary rise in the price of oil for ExxonMobil’s U.S. operations, the company’s U.S. reserve portfolio managed a meagre $363 million in earnings, according to an IEEFA analysis of its first-quarter earnings report.
Oil prices rose to an average of $56.20 during the first quarter of 2021, a 44 percent increase from the $39.06 posted during the last quarter of 2020.
“ExxonMobil has been pouring billions into the Permian Basin since 2013,” said Tom Sanzillo, IEEFA director of financial analysis. “The earnings report of $363 million this quarter—when oil prices took off—represents more an accounting gimmick than an actual return for investors.”
The Irving, Texas-based supermajor reported spending $3.1 billion on capital expenditures during the first quarter, including $800 million on its U.S. upstream operations. Weak earnings in ExxonMobil’s upstream portfolio have become common. Since 2013, it has invested more than $60 billion in U.S. upstream operations while posting $6 billion in cumulative losses.
“Do the math,” said Clark Williams-Derry, an IEEFA energy finance analyst. “ExxonMobil’s U.S. upstream segment bled cash for the quarter, after factoring in capital expenditures. The company’s U.S. oil and gas portfolio continues to underperform.”
Tom Sanzillo (tsanzillo@ieefa.org) is IEEFA’s director of financial analysis.
Clark Williams-Derry (cwilliamsderry@ieefa.org) is an IEEFA energy finance analyst.
Related items:
IEEFA: Oil supermajors made $20.5 billion in 2020 but spent $49.9 billion to please investors
IEEFA U.S.: Appalachian frackers report $504M in negative free cash flow despite capex slashing
IEEFA update: ExxonMobil’s financials indicate slide under CEO Darren Woods’s leadership