ANNUAL REPORT · FORM 10-K 

Exxon Mobil Corp,
Fiscal Year 2022.

Exxon Mobil’s future value is defined by its ability to navigate the structural tension between its established fossil fuel core and the accelerating global energy transition. The company faces systemic risks from commodity price volatility and potential climate policy mandates, which challenge its traditional business model. To manage this, the firm is pursuing a capital-intensive commitment to lower-emission technologies, including Carbon Capture and Storage and hydrogen.

Accession 0000034088-23-000020 4 sections analysed
  SYMBOLOGY.ONLINE l2 SYNTHESIS 

XOM · Form 10-K Analysis

Exxon Mobil operates as a highly integrated, global energy giant whose future value is defined by its ability to navigate the structural tension between its established fossil fuel core and the accelerating global energy transition. The company maintains a massive, diversified operational footprint spanning the entire energy value chain—from upstream oil and gas exploration to downstream petrochemicals and specialized services—while simultaneously positioning itself as a leader in lower-emission technologies.

Strategic Posture: Balancing the Core and the Future

The core business remains fundamentally tied to global commodity price volatility and macroeconomic health, exposing the company to significant risks from recessions, trade tariffs, and supply chain shocks. However, the company's stated growth strategy is a long-term, capital-intensive commitment to decarbonization. This pivot is evident in the dedicated focus on developing and deploying lower-emission solutions, including Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), hydrogen, and advanced clean fuels. This commitment signals that the company views the energy transition not merely as a compliance cost, but as the primary future market driver.

Key Risks and Regulatory Headwinds

The risk profile is exceptionally complex, dominated by external, systemic forces. The most significant vulnerability is the interplay between climate policy and commodity pricing. The filing repeatedly emphasizes that the core business model is directly challenged by global policy mandates (such as carbon taxes or EV mandates) that could restrict the availability or increase the cost of traditional hydrocarbons.

Furthermore, the company faces heightened regulatory and political risks, including the potential for adverse government actions like increased royalties or price controls, and the increasing legal challenge from public policy groups targeting the fossil fuel sector. These risks create a high degree of policy uncertainty that acts as a multiplier across all operational and financial segments.

Financial and Operational Stability

Despite the systemic external risks, the company demonstrates robust internal controls and operational management. Management has concluded that both its disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) were effective as of the reporting date, with no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies identified. This suggests a stable internal governance structure capable of managing its complex, multi-billion-dollar global portfolio and executing its long-term, capital-intensive transition plans.

In summary, while ExxonMobil is structurally vulnerable to external policy shifts and commodity market swings, its strategy is to manage this risk by maintaining operational excellence in its profitable core segments while aggressively investing in and positioning itself within the emerging, lower-carbon energy markets.

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  DOCUMENTS 

4 filing documents, in order.

§1
Legal Proceedings
§2
Controls & Procedures
§3
Risk Factors
§4
Business Description
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Side-by-side against the prior Management Discussion.

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Side-by-side against the prior Risk Factors.

Risk Factors

5 changes
escalated Legal remedies available to compensate us for expropriation or other takings may be inadequate.

FY2021 10-K
Removed
Filed Feb 23, 2022

Legal remedies available to compensate us for expropriation or other takings may be inadequate. We also may be adversely affected by the outcome of litigation, especially in countries such as the United States in which very large and unpredictable punitive damage awards may occur; by government enforcement proceedings alleging non-compliance with applicable laws or regulations; or by state and local government actors as well as private plaintiffs acting in parallel that attempt to use the legal system to promote public policy agendas (including seeking to reduce the production and sale of hydrocarbon products though litigation targeting the company or other industry participants), gain political notoriety, or obtain monetary awards from the company. Security concerns. Successful operation of particular facilities or projects may be disrupted by civil unrest, acts of sabotage or terrorism, cybersecurity attacks, the application of national security laws or policies that result in restricting our ability to do business in a particular jurisdiction, and other local security concerns. Such concerns may require us to incur greater costs for security or to shut down operations for a period of time.

FY2022 10-K
Added
Filed Feb 22, 2023

Legal remedies available to compensate us for expropriation or other takings may be inadequate. We also may be adversely affected by the outcome of litigation, especially in countries such as the United States in which very large and unpredictable punitive damage awards may occur; by government enforcement proceedings alleging non-compliance with applicable laws or regulations; or by state and local government actors as well as private plaintiffs acting in parallel that attempt to use the legal system to promote public policy agendas (including seeking to reduce the production and sale of hydrocarbon products through litigation targeting the company or other industry participants), gain political notoriety, or obtain monetary awards from the company. The adoption of similar legal practices in the European Union or elsewhere would broaden this risk and has begun to be applied to some of our competitors in the European Union. Security concerns. Successful operation of particular facilities or projects may be disrupted by civil unrest, acts of sabotage or terrorism, cybersecurity attacks, the application of national security laws or policies that result in restricting our ability to do business in a particular jurisdiction, and other local security concerns. Such concerns may be directed specifically at our company, our industry, or as part of broader movements and may require us to incur greater costs for security or to shut down operations for a period of time.

de-emphasised Climate Change and the Energy Transition

FY2021 10-K
Removed
Filed Feb 23, 2022

Climate Change and the Energy Transition Net-zero scenarios. Driven by concern over the risks of climate change, a number of countries have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, regulatory frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including emissions from the production and use of oil and gas and their products. These actions are being taken both independently by national and regional governments and within the framework of United Nations Conference of the Parties summits under which many countries of the world have endorsed objectives to reduce the atmospheric concentration of CO2 over the coming decades, with an ambition ultimately to achieve "net-zero." Net-zero means that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities would be balanced by actions that remove such gases from the atmosphere. Expectations for transition of the world's energy system to lower emission sources and ultimately net-zero derive from hypothetical scenarios that reflect many assumptions about the future and reflect substantial uncertainties. The company's objective to lead in the energy transition, including the company's announced ambition ultimately to achieve net-zero with respect to emissions from operations where ExxonMobil is the operator, carries risks that the transition, including underlying technologies, policies, and markets as discussed in more detail below, will not develop at the pace or in the manner expected by current net-zero scenarios. The success of our strategy for the energy transition will also depend on our ability to recognize key signposts of change in the global energy system on a timely basis, and our corresponding ability to direct investment to the technologies and businesses, at the appropriate stage of development, to best capitalize on our competitive strengths. Greenhouse gas restrictions. Government actions intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions include adoption of cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, trade tariffs, minimum renewable usage requirements, restrictive permitting, increased mileage and other efficiency standards, mandates for sales of electric vehicles, mandates for use of specific fuels or technologies, and other incentives or mandates designed to support transitioning to lower-emission energy sources. Political and other actors and their agents also increasingly seek to advance climate change objectives indirectly, such as by seeking to reduce the availability or increase the cost of financing and investment in the oil and gas sector and taking actions intended to promote changes in business strategy for oil and gas companies. Depending on how policies are formulated and applied, such policies could negatively affect our investment returns, make our hydrocarbon-based products more expensive or less competitive, lengthen project implementation times, and reduce demand for hydrocarbons, as well as shift hydrocarbon demand toward relatively lower-carbon alternatives. Current and pending greenhouse gas regulations or policies may also increase our compliance costs, such as for monitoring or sequestering emissions. Technology and low carbon solutions. Achieving societal ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately achieve net-zero will require new technologies to reduce the cost and increase the scalability of alternative energy sources, as well as technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS technologies, focused initially on capturing and sequestering CO2 emissions from high-intensity industrial activities, can assist in meeting society's objective to mitigate atmospheric greenhouse gas levels while also helping ensure the availability of the reliable and affordable energy the world requires. ExxonMobil has established a Low Carbon Solutions (LCS) business unit to advance the development and deployment of these technologies and projects, including CCS, hydrogen and advanced biofuels, breakthrough energy efficiency processes, advanced energy-saving materials, and other technologies. The company's efforts include both in-house research and development and collaborative efforts with leading universities as well as commercial partners involved in advanced lower-emission energy technologies. Our future results and ability to grow our LCS business and succeed through the energy transition will depend in part on the success of these research and collaboration efforts and on our ability to adapt and apply the strengths of our current business model to providing the energy products of the future in a cost-competitive manner. Policy and market development. The scale of the world's energy system means that, in addition to developments in technology as discussed above, a successful energy transition will require appropriate support from governments and private participants throughout the global economy. Our ability to develop and deploy CCS and other lower emission energy technologies at commercial scale, and the growth and future returns of LCS and other emerging businesses in which we invest, will depend in part on the continued development of supportive government policies and markets. Failure or delay of these policies or markets to materialize or be maintained could adversely impact these investments. Policy and other actions that result in restricting the availability of hydrocarbon products without commensurate reduction in demand may have unpredictable adverse effects, including increased commodity price volatility; periods of significantly higher commodity prices and resulting inflationary pressures; and local or regional energy shortages. Such effects in turn may depress economic growth or lead to rapid or conflicting shifts in policy by different actors, with resulting adverse effects on our businesses.

FY2022 10-K
Added
Filed Feb 22, 2023

Climate Change and the Energy Transition Net-zero scenarios. Driven by concern over the risks of climate change, a number of countries have adopted, or are considering the adoption of, regulatory frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including emissions from the production and use of oil and gas and their products. These actions are being taken both independently by national and regional governments and within the framework of United Nations Conference of the Parties summits under which many countries of the world have endorsed objectives to reduce the atmospheric concentration of CO2 over the coming decades, with an ambition ultimately to achieve "net zero". Net zero means that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities would be balanced by actions that remove such gases from the atmosphere. Expectations for transition of the world's energy system to lower-emission sources, and ultimately net-zero, derive from hypothetical scenarios that reflect many assumptions about the future and reflect substantial uncertainties. The company's objective to play a leading role in the energy transition, including the company's announced ambition ultimately to achieve net zero with respect to Scope 1 and 2 emissions from operations where ExxonMobil is the operator, carries risks that the transition, including underlying technologies, policies, and markets as discussed in more detail below, will not develop at the pace or in the manner expected by current net-zero scenarios. The success of our strategy for the energy transition will also depend on our ability to recognize key signposts of change in the global energy system on a timely basis, and our corresponding ability to direct investment to the technologies and businesses, at the appropriate stage of development, to best capitalize on our competitive strengths. Greenhouse gas restrictions. Government actions intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions include adoption of cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, carbon-based import duties or other trade tariffs, minimum renewable usage requirements, restrictive permitting, increased mileage and other efficiency standards, mandates for sales of electric vehicles, mandates for use of specific fuels or technologies, and other incentives or mandates designed to support transitioning to lower-emission energy sources. Political and other actors and their agents also increasingly seek to advance climate change objectives indirectly, such as by seeking to reduce the availability or increase the cost of financing and investment in the oil and gas sector and taking actions intended to promote changes in business strategy for oil and gas companies. Depending on how policies are formulated and applied, such policies could negatively affect our investment returns, make our hydrocarbon-based products more expensive or less competitive, lengthen project implementation times, and reduce demand for hydrocarbons, as well as shift hydrocarbon demand toward relatively lower-carbon alternatives. Current and pending greenhouse gas regulations or policies may also increase our compliance costs, such as for monitoring or sequestering emissions. Technology and lower-emission solutions. Achieving societal ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately achieve net zero will require new technologies to reduce the cost and increase the scalability of alternative energy sources, as well as technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS). CCS technologies, focused initially on capturing and sequestering CO2 emissions from high-intensity industrial activities, can assist in meeting society's objective to mitigate atmospheric greenhouse gas levels while also helping ensure the availability of the reliable and affordable energy the world requires. ExxonMobil has established a Low Carbon Solutions (LCS) business unit to advance the development and deployment of these technologies and projects, including CCS, hydrogen, and lower-emission fuels, breakthrough energy efficiency processes, advanced energy-saving materials, and other technologies. The company's efforts include both in-house research and development as well as collaborative efforts with leading universities and with commercial partners involved in advanced lower-emission energy technologies. Our future results and ability to grow our LCS business, help nations meet their emission-reduction goals, and succeed through the energy transition will depend in part on the success of these research and collaboration efforts and on our ability to adapt and apply the strengths of our current business model to providing the energy products of the future in a cost-competitive manner. 4

reworded Supply and Demand

FY2021 10-K
Removed
Filed Feb 23, 2022

Supply and Demand The oil, gas, and petrochemical businesses are fundamentally commodity businesses. This means ExxonMobil's operations and earnings may be significantly affected by changes in oil, gas, and petrochemical prices and by changes in margins on refined products. Oil, gas, petrochemical, and product prices and margins in turn depend on local, regional, and global events or conditions that affect supply and demand for the relevant commodity or product. Any material decline in oil or natural gas prices could have a material adverse effect on certain of the company's operations, especially in the Upstream segment, financial condition, and proved reserves. On the other hand, a material increase in oil or natural gas prices could have a material adverse effect on certain of the company's operations, especially in the Downstream and Chemical segments. Economic conditions. The demand for energy and petrochemicals is generally linked closely with broad-based economic activities and levels of prosperity. The occurrence of recessions or other periods of low or negative economic growth will typically have a direct adverse impact on our results. Other factors that affect general economic conditions in the world or in a major region, such as changes in population growth rates, periods of civil unrest, government regulation or austerity programs, trade tariffs or broader breakdowns in global trade, security or public health issues and responses, or currency exchange rate fluctuations, can also impact the demand for energy and petrochemicals. Sovereign debt downgrades, defaults, inability to access debt markets due to credit or legal constraints, liquidity crises, the breakup or restructuring of fiscal, monetary, or political systems such as the European Union, and other events or conditions that impair the functioning of financial markets and institutions also pose risks to ExxonMobil, including risks to the safety of our financial assets and to the ability of our partners and customers to fulfill their commitments to ExxonMobil. COVID-19. The initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic caused conditions of demand reduction and oversupply to develop rapidly and resulted in significant decreases in commodity prices and margins. ExxonMobil's future business results, including cash flows and financing needs, will be affected by the scope and severity of current and future COVID outbreaks; actions taken by governments and others to address the pandemic and the effects of those actions on national and global economies and markets; changes in consumer behavior that affect demand for our products; and the effectiveness of the Corporation's own responsive actions to protect the safety and well-being of our people. Other demand-related factors. Other factors that may affect the demand for oil, gas, and petrochemicals, and therefore impact our results, include technological improvements in energy efficiency; seasonal weather patterns; increased competitiveness of, or government policy support for, alternative energy sources; changes in technology that alter fuel choices, such as technological advances in energy storage that make wind and solar more competitive for power generation; changes in consumer preferences for our products, including consumer demand for alternative fueled or electric transportation or alternatives to plastic products; and broad-based changes in personal income levels. See also "Climate Change and the Energy Transition" below. Other supply-related factors. Commodity prices and margins also vary depending on a number of factors affecting supply. For example, increased supply from the development of new oil and gas supply sources and technologies to enhance recovery from existing sources tends to reduce commodity prices to the extent such supply increases are not offset by commensurate growth in demand. Similarly, increases in industry refining or petrochemical manufacturing capacity relative to demand tend to reduce margins on the affected products. World oil, gas, and petrochemical supply levels can also be affected by factors that reduce available supplies, such as the level of and adherence by participating countries to production quotas established by OPEC or "OPEC+" and other agreements among sovereigns, government policies, including actions intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, that restrict oil and gas production or increase associated costs, and the occurrence of wars, hostile actions, natural disasters, disruptions in competitors' operations, logistics constraints or unexpected unavailability of distribution channels that may disrupt supplies. Technological change can also alter the relative costs for competitors to find, produce, and refine oil and gas and to manufacture petrochemicals. Other market factors. ExxonMobil's business results are also exposed to potential negative impacts due to changes in interest rates, inflation, currency exchange rates, and other local or regional market conditions. Market factors may also result in losses from commodity derivatives and other instruments we use to hedge price exposures or for trading purposes.

FY2022 10-K
Added
Filed Feb 22, 2023

Supply and Demand The oil, gas, and petrochemical businesses are fundamentally commodity businesses. This means ExxonMobil's operations and earnings may be significantly affected by changes in oil, gas, and petrochemical prices and by changes in margins on refined products. Oil, gas, petrochemical, and product prices and margins in turn depend on local, regional, and global events or conditions that affect supply and demand for the relevant commodity or product. Any material decline in oil or natural gas prices could have a material adverse effect on the company's operations, financial condition, and proved reserves, especially in the Upstream segment. On the other hand, a material increase in oil or natural gas prices could have a material adverse effect on the company's operations, especially in the Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. Our pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and lower-emission fuels also depends on the growth and development of markets for those products and services, including implementation of supportive government policies and developments in technology to enable those products and services to be provided on a cost-effective basis at commercial scale. See "Climate Change and the Energy Transition" in this Item 1A. Economic conditions. The demand for energy and petrochemicals is generally linked closely with broad-based economic activities and levels of prosperity. The occurrence of recessions or other periods of low or negative economic growth will typically have a direct adverse impact on our results. Other factors that affect general economic conditions in the world or in a major region, such as changes in population growth rates, periods of civil unrest, government regulation or austerity programs, trade tariffs or broader breakdowns in global trade, security or public health issues and responses, or currency exchange rate fluctuations, can also impact the demand for energy and petrochemicals. Sovereign debt downgrades, defaults, inability to access debt markets due to rating, banking, or legal constraints, liquidity crises, the breakup or restructuring of fiscal, monetary, or political systems such as the European Union, and other events or conditions that impair the functioning of financial markets and institutions also pose risks to ExxonMobil, including risks to the safety of our financial assets and to the ability of our partners and customers to fulfill their commitments to ExxonMobil. Our future business results, including cash flows and financing needs, will also be affected by the rate of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the occurrence and severity of future outbreaks, the responsive actions taken by governments and others, and the resulting effects on regional and global markets and economies. 2 Other demand-related factors. Other factors that may affect the demand for oil, gas, and petrochemicals, and therefore impact our results, include technological improvements in energy efficiency; seasonal weather patterns; increased competitiveness of, or government policy support for, alternative energy sources; changes in technology that alter fuel choices, such as technological advances in energy storage that make wind and solar more competitive for power generation; changes in consumer preferences for our products, including consumer demand for alternative fueled or electric transportation or alternatives to plastic products; and broad-based changes in personal income levels. See also "Climate Change and the Energy Transition" below. Other supply-related factors. Commodity prices and margins also vary depending on a number of factors affecting supply. For example, increased supply from the development of new oil and gas supply sources and technologies to enhance recovery from existing sources tends to reduce commodity prices to the extent such supply increases are not offset by commensurate growth in demand. Similarly, increases in industry refining or petrochemical manufacturing capacity relative to demand tend to reduce margins on the affected products. World oil, gas, and petrochemical supply levels can also be affected by factors that reduce available supplies, such as the level of and adherence by participating countries to production quotas established by OPEC or "OPEC+" and other agreements among sovereigns; government policies, including actions intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, that restrict oil and gas production or increase associated costs; and the occurrence of wars, hostile actions, natural disasters, disruptions in competitors' operations, logistics constraints, or unexpected unavailability of distribution channels that may disrupt supplies. Technological change can also alter the relative costs for competitors to find, produce, and refine oil and gas and to manufacture petrochemicals. Other market factors. ExxonMobil's business results are also exposed to potential negative impacts due to changes in interest rates, inflation, currency exchange rates, and other local or regional market conditions. In addition to direct potential impacts on our costs and revenues, market factors such as rates of inflation may indirectly impact our results to the extent such factors reduce general rates of economic growth and therefore energy demand, as discussed under "Economic conditions". Market factors may also result in losses from commodity derivatives and other instruments we use to hedge price exposures or for trading purposes. Additional information regarding the potential future impact of market factors on our businesses is included or incorporated by reference under Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in this report.

reworded ExxonMobil's results can be adversely affected by political or regulatory developments affecting our operations.

FY2021 10-K
Removed
Filed Feb 23, 2022

Government and Political Factors ExxonMobil's results can be adversely affected by political or regulatory developments affecting our operations. Access limitations. A number of countries limit access to their oil and gas resources, including by restricting leasing or permitting activities, or may place resources off-limits from development altogether. Restrictions on production of oil and gas could increase to the extent governments view such measures as a viable approach for pursuing national and global energy and climate policies. Restrictions on foreign investment in the oil and gas sector tend to increase in times of high commodity prices, when national governments may have less need of outside sources of private capital. Many countries also restrict the import or export of certain products based on point of origin. Restrictions on doing business. ExxonMobil is subject to laws and sanctions imposed by the United States or by other jurisdictions where we do business that may prohibit ExxonMobil or certain of its affiliates from doing business in certain countries, or restricting the kind of business that may be conducted. Such restrictions may provide a competitive advantage to competitors who may not be subject to comparable restrictions. Lack of legal certainty. Some countries in which we do business lack well-developed legal systems, or have not yet adopted, or may be unable to maintain, clear regulatory frameworks for oil and gas development. Lack of legal certainty exposes our operations to increased risk of adverse or unpredictable actions by government officials, and also makes it more difficult for us to enforce our contracts. In some cases these risks can be partially offset by agreements to arbitrate disputes in an international forum, but the adequacy of this remedy may still depend on the local legal system to enforce an award. Regulatory and litigation risks. Even in countries with well-developed legal systems where ExxonMobil does business, we remain exposed to changes in law or interpretation of settled law (including changes that result from international treaties and accords) and changes in policy that could adversely affect our results, such as: • increases in taxes, duties, or government royalty rates (including retroactive claims); • price controls; • changes in environmental regulations or other laws that increase our cost of compliance or reduce or delay available business opportunities (including changes in laws affecting offshore drilling operations, water use, methane emissions, hydraulic fracturing, or use of new or recycled plastics); • actions by policy-makers, regulators, or other actors to delay or deny necessary licenses and permits, restrict the availability of oil and gas leases or the transportation of our products, or otherwise require changes in the company's business or strategy that could result in reduced returns; • adoption of regulations mandating efficiency standards, the use of alternative fuels or uncompetitive fuel components; • adoption of government payment transparency regulations that could require us to disclose competitively sensitive commercial information, or that could cause us to violate the non-disclosure laws of other countries; and • government actions to cancel contracts, re-denominate the official currency, renounce or default on obligations, renegotiate terms unilaterally, or expropriate assets.

FY2022 10-K
Added
Filed Feb 22, 2023

Government and Political Factors ExxonMobil's results can be adversely affected by political or regulatory developments affecting our operations. Access limitations. A number of countries limit access to their oil and gas resources, including by restricting leasing or permitting activities, or may place resources off-limits from development altogether. Restrictions on production of oil and gas could increase to the extent governments view such measures as a viable approach for pursuing national and global energy and climate policies. Restrictions on foreign investment in the oil and gas sector tend to increase in times of high commodity prices, when national governments may have less need for outside sources of private capital. Many countries also restrict the import or export of certain products based on point of origin. Restrictions on doing business. ExxonMobil is subject to laws and sanctions imposed by the United States or by other jurisdictions where we do business that may prohibit ExxonMobil or its affiliates from doing business in certain countries, or restricting the kind of business that may be conducted. Such restrictions may provide a competitive advantage to competitors who may not be subject to comparable restrictions. Lack of legal certainty. Some countries in which we do business lack well-developed legal systems, or have not yet adopted, or may be unable to maintain, clear regulatory frameworks for oil and gas development. Lack of legal certainty exposes our operations to increased risk of adverse or unpredictable actions by government officials, and also makes it more difficult for us to enforce our contracts. In some cases these risks can be partially offset by agreements to arbitrate disputes in an international forum, but the adequacy of this remedy may still depend on the local legal system to enforce an award. Regulatory and litigation risks. Even in countries with well-developed legal systems where ExxonMobil does business, we remain exposed to changes in law or interpretation of settled law (including changes that result from international treaties and accords) and changes in policy that could adversely affect our results, such as: •increases in taxes, duties, or government royalty rates (including retroactive claims); •price controls; •changes in environmental regulations or other laws that increase our cost of compliance or reduce or delay available business opportunities (including changes in laws affecting offshore drilling operations, water use, emissions, hydraulic fracturing, or production or use of new or recycled plastics); •actions by policy-makers, regulators, or other actors to delay or deny necessary licenses and permits, restrict the availability of oil and gas leases or the transportation of our products, or otherwise require changes in the company's business or strategy that could result in reduced returns; •adoption of regulations mandating efficiency standards, the use of alternative fuels or uncompetitive fuel components; •adoption of government payment transparency regulations that could require us to disclose competitively sensitive commercial information, or that could cause us to violate the non-disclosure laws of other countries; and •government actions to cancel contracts, redenominate the official currency, renounce or default on obligations, renegotiate terms unilaterally, or expropriate assets. 3

reworded Operational and Other Factors

FY2021 10-K
Removed
Filed Feb 23, 2022

See also the discussion of "Supply and Demand," "Government and Political Factors," and "Operational and Other Factors" in this Item 1A. Operational and Other Factors In addition to external economic and political factors, our future business results also depend on our ability to manage successfully those factors that are at least in part within our control. The extent to which we manage these factors will impact our performance relative to competition. For projects in which we are not the operator, we depend on the management effectiveness of one or more co-venturers whom we do not control. Exploration and development program. Our ability to maintain and grow our oil and gas production depends on the success of our exploration and development efforts. Among other factors, we must continuously improve our ability to identify the most promising resource prospects and apply our project management expertise to bring discovered resources on line as scheduled and within budget. Project and portfolio management. The long-term success of ExxonMobil's Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical businesses, as well as the future success of LCS and other emerging lower-emission investments, depends on complex, long-term, capital intensive projects. These projects in turn require a high degree of project management expertise to maximize efficiency. Specific factors that can affect the performance of major projects include our ability to: negotiate successfully with joint venturers, partners, governments, suppliers, customers, or others; model and optimize reservoir performance; develop markets for project outputs, whether through long-term contracts or the development of effective spot markets; manage changes in operating conditions and costs, including costs of third party equipment or services such as drilling rigs and shipping; prevent, to the extent possible, and respond effectively to unforeseen technical difficulties that could delay project start-up or cause unscheduled project downtime; and influence the performance of project operators where ExxonMobil does not perform that role. In addition to the effective management of individual projects, ExxonMobil's success, including our ability to mitigate risk and provide attractive returns to shareholders, depends on our ability to successfully manage our overall portfolio, including diversification among types and locations of our projects, products produced, and strategies to divest assets. We may not be able to divest assets at a price or on the timeline we contemplate in our strategies. Additionally, we may retain certain liabilities following a divestment and could be held liable for past use or for different liabilities than anticipated. The term "project" as used in this report can refer to a variety of different activities and does not necessarily have the same meaning as in any government payment transparency reports. Operational efficiency. An important component of ExxonMobil's competitive performance, especially given the commodity-based nature of many of our businesses, is our ability to operate efficiently, including our ability to manage expenses and improve production yields on an ongoing basis. This requires continuous management focus, including technology improvements, cost control, productivity enhancements, regular reappraisal of our asset portfolio, and the recruitment, development, and retention of high caliber employees. Research and development and technological change. To maintain our competitive position, especially in light of the technological nature of our businesses and the need for continuous efficiency improvement, ExxonMobil's technology, research, and development organizations must be successful and able to adapt to a changing market and policy environment, including developing technologies to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To remain competitive we must also continuously adapt and capture the benefits of new and emerging technologies, including successfully applying advances in the ability to process very large amounts of data to our businesses. Safety, business controls, and environmental risk management. Our results depend on management's ability to minimize the inherent risks of oil, gas, and petrochemical operations, to control effectively our business activities, and to minimize the potential for human error. We apply rigorous management systems and continuous focus on workplace safety and avoiding spills or other adverse environmental events. For example, we work to minimize spills through a combined program of effective operations integrity management, ongoing upgrades, key equipment replacements, and comprehensive inspection and surveillance. Similarly, we are implementing cost-effective new technologies and adopting new operating practices to reduce air emissions, not only in response to government requirements but also to address community priorities. We employ a comprehensive enterprise risk management system to identify and manage risk across our businesses. We also maintain a disciplined framework of internal controls and apply a controls management system for monitoring compliance with this framework. Substantial liabilities and other adverse impacts could result if we do not timely identify and mitigate applicable risks, or if our management systems and controls do not function as intended.

FY2022 10-K
Added
Filed Feb 22, 2023

Operational and Other Factors In addition to external economic and political factors, our future business results also depend on our ability to manage successfully those factors that are, at least in part, within our control. The extent to which we manage these factors will impact our performance relative to competition. For projects in which we are not the operator, we depend on the management effectiveness of one or more co-venturers whom we do not control. Exploration and development program. Our ability to maintain and grow our oil and gas production depends on the success of our exploration and development efforts. Among other factors, we must continuously improve our ability to identify the most promising resource prospects and apply our project management expertise to bring discovered resources online as scheduled and within budget. Project and portfolio management. The long-term success of ExxonMobil's Upstream and Product Solutions businesses, as well as the future success of LCS and other emerging lower-emission investments, depends on complex, long-term, capital intensive projects. These projects in turn require a high degree of project management expertise to maximize efficiency. Specific factors that can affect the performance of major projects include our ability to: negotiate successfully with joint venturers, partners, governments, suppliers, customers, or others; model and optimize reservoir performance; develop markets for project outputs, whether through long-term contracts or the development of effective spot markets; manage changes in operating conditions and costs, including costs of third party equipment or services such as drilling rigs and shipping, supply-chain disruptions, and inflationary cost pressures; prevent, to the extent possible, and respond effectively to unforeseen technical difficulties that could delay project start-up or cause unscheduled project downtime; and influence the performance of project operators where ExxonMobil does not perform that role. In addition to the effective management of individual projects, ExxonMobil's success, including our ability to mitigate risk and provide attractive returns to shareholders, depends on our ability to successfully manage our overall portfolio, including diversification among types and locations of our projects, products produced, and strategies to divest assets. We may not be able to divest assets at a price or on the timeline we contemplate in our strategies. Additionally, we may retain certain liabilities following a divestment and could be held liable for past use or for different liabilities than anticipated. The term "project" as used in this report can refer to a variety of different activities and does not necessarily have the same meaning as in any government payment transparency reports. Operational efficiency. An important component of ExxonMobil's competitive performance, especially given the commodity-based nature of many of our businesses, is our ability to operate efficiently, including our ability to manage expenses and improve production yields on an ongoing basis. This requires continuous management focus, including technology improvements, cost control, productivity enhancements, regular reappraisal of our asset portfolio, and the recruitment, development, and retention of high caliber employees. Research and development and technological change. To maintain our competitive position, especially in light of the technological nature of our businesses and the need for continuous efficiency improvement, ExxonMobil's technology, research, and development organizations must be successful and able to adapt to a changing market and policy environment, including developing technologies to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To remain competitive we must also continuously adapt and capture the benefits of new and emerging technologies, including successfully applying advances in the ability to process very large amounts of data to our businesses. Safety, business controls, and environmental risk management. Our results depend on management's ability to minimize the inherent risks of oil, gas, and petrochemical operations, to effectively control our business activities, and to minimize the potential for human error. We apply rigorous management systems and continuous focus on workplace safety and avoiding spills or other adverse environmental events. For example, we work to minimize spills through a combined program of effective operations integrity management, ongoing upgrades, key equipment replacements, and comprehensive inspection and surveillance. Similarly, we are implementing cost-effective new technologies and adopting new operating practices to reduce emissions, not only in response to government requirements but also to address community priorities. We employ a comprehensive enterprise risk management system to identify and manage risk across our businesses. We also maintain a disciplined framework of internal controls and apply a controls management system for monitoring compliance with this framework. Substantial liabilities and other adverse impacts could result if we do not timely identify and mitigate applicable risks, or if our management systems and controls do not function as intended. 5

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Side-by-side against the prior Business Description.

Business Description

2 changes
reworded ITEM 1. BUSINESS

FY2021 10-K
Removed
Filed Feb 23, 2022

As discussed in item 1A. Risk Factors in this report, compliance with existing and potential future government regulations, including taxes, environmental regulations, and other government regulations and policies that directly or indirectly affect the production and sale of our products, may have material effects on the capital expenditures, earnings, and competitive position of ExxonMobil. With respect to the environment, throughout ExxonMobil's businesses, new and ongoing measures are taken to prevent and minimize the impact of our operations on air, water, and ground, including, but not limited to, compliance with environmental regulations. These include a significant investment in refining infrastructure and technology to manufacture clean fuels, as well as projects to monitor and reduce nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide and greenhouse gas emissions, and expenditures for asset retirement obligations. Using definitions and guidelines established by the American Petroleum Institute, ExxonMobil's 2021 worldwide environmental expenditures for all such preventative and remediation steps, including ExxonMobil's share of equity company expenditures, were $4.6 billion, of which $3.4 billion were included in expenses with the remainder in capital expenditures. The total cost for such activities is expected to increase to approximately $5.3 billion in 2022, with capital expenditures expected to account for approximately 30 percent of the total. Costs for 2023 are anticipated to be higher as the Low Carbon Solutions business matures and the Corporation progresses its emission-reduction plans. Information concerning the source and availability of raw materials used in the Corporation's business, the extent of seasonality in the business, the possibility of renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts at the election of governments, and risks attendant to foreign operations may be found in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and "Item 2. Properties" in this report. ExxonMobil maintains a website at exxonmobil.com. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are made available through our website as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file or furnish the reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Also available on the Corporation's website are the company's Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, and additional policies as well as the charters of the audit, compensation, and other committees of the Board of Directors. Information on our website is not incorporated into this report. The SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

FY2022 10-K
Added
Filed Feb 22, 2023

As discussed in item 1A. Risk Factors in this report, compliance with existing and potential future government regulations, including taxes, environmental regulations, and other government regulations and policies that directly or indirectly affect the production and sale of our products, may have material effects on the capital expenditures, earnings, and competitive position of ExxonMobil. With respect to the environment, throughout ExxonMobil's businesses, new and ongoing measures are taken to prevent and minimize the impact of our operations on air, water, and ground, including, but not limited to, compliance with environmental regulations. These include a significant investment in refining infrastructure and technology to manufacture clean fuels, as well as projects to monitor and reduce air, water, and waste emissions, and expenditures for asset retirement obligations. Using definitions and guidelines established by the American Petroleum Institute, ExxonMobil's 2022 worldwide environmental expenditures for all such preventative and remediation steps, including ExxonMobil's share of equity company expenditures, were $5.7 billion, of which $3.8 billion were included in expenses with the remainder in capital expenditures. As the Corporation progresses its emission-reduction plans, worldwide environmental expenditures are expected to increase to approximately $7.3 billion in 2023, with capital expenditures expected to account for approximately 46 percent of the total. Costs for 2024 are anticipated to increase to approximately $8.2 billion, with capital expenditures expected to account for approximately 51 percent of the total. Information concerning the source and availability of raw materials used in the Corporation's business, the extent of seasonality in the business, the possibility of renegotiation of profits or termination of contracts at the election of governments, and risks attendant to foreign operations may be found in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and "Item 2. Properties" in this report. ExxonMobil maintains a website at exxonmobil.com. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are made available through our website as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file or furnish the reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Also available on the Corporation's website are the company's Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, and additional policies as well as the charters of the audit, compensation, and other committees of the Board of Directors. Information on our website is not incorporated into this report. The SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

reworded ITEM 1. BUSINESS

FY2021 10-K
Removed
Filed Feb 23, 2022

BUSINESS Exxon Mobil Corporation was incorporated in the State of New Jersey in 1882. Divisions and affiliated companies of ExxonMobil operate or market products in the United States and most other countries of the world. Our principal business involves exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas; manufacture, trade, transport and sale of crude oil, natural gas, petroleum products, petrochemicals and a wide variety of specialty products; and pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and biofuels. Affiliates of ExxonMobil conduct extensive research programs in support of these businesses. Exxon Mobil Corporation has several divisions and hundreds of affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso, Mobil or XTO. For convenience and simplicity, in this report the termsExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso, Mobil and XTO, as well as terms like Corporation, Company, our, we, and its, are sometimes used as abbreviated references to specific affiliates or groups of affiliates. The precise meaning depends on the context in question. The energy and petrochemical industries are highly competitive, both within the industries and also with other industries in supplying the energy, fuel, and chemical needs of industrial and individual consumers. Certain industry participants, including ExxonMobil, are expanding investments in lower-emission energy and emission-reduction services and technologies. The Corporation competes with other firms in the sale or purchase of needed goods and services in many national and international markets and employs all methods of competition which are lawful and appropriate for such purposes. Operating data and industry segment information for the Corporation are contained in the Financial Section of this report under the following: "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations: Business Results" and "Note 18: Disclosures about Segments and Related Information". Information on oil and gas reserves is contained in the "Oil and Gas Reserves" part of the "Supplemental Information on Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Activities" portion of the Financial Section of this report. ExxonMobil has a long-standing commitment to the development of proprietary technology. We have a wide array of research programs designed to meet the needs identified in each of our business segments. ExxonMobil held over 8 thousand active patents worldwide at the end of 2021. For technology licensed to third parties, revenues totaled approximately $66 million in 2021. Although technology is an important contributor to the overall operations and results of our Company, the profitability of each business segment is not dependent on any individual patent, trade secret, trademark, license, franchise, or concession. ExxonMobil operates in a highly complex, competitive, and changing global energy business environment where decisions and risks play out over time horizons that are often decades in length. This long-term orientation underpins the Corporation's philosophy on talent development. Talent development begins with recruiting exceptional candidates and continues with individually planned experiences and training designed to facilitate broad development and a deep understanding of our business across the business cycle. Our career-oriented approach to talent development results in strong retention and an average length of service of 30 years for our career employees. Compensation, benefits, and workplace programs support the Corporation's talent management approach, and are designed to attract and retain employees for a career through compensation that is market competitive, long-term oriented, and highly differentiated by individual performance. Over 60 percent of our global employee workforce is from outside the U.S., and over the past decade 39 percent of our global hires for management, professional and technical positions were female and 35 percent of our U.S. hires for management, professional and technical positions were minorities. With over 160 nationalities represented in the company, we encourage and respect diversity of thought, ideas, and perspective from our workforce. We consider and monitor diversity through all stages of employment, including recruitment, training, and development of our employees. We also work closely with the communities where we operate to identify and invest in initiatives that help support local needs, including local talent and skill development. The number of regular employees was 63 thousand, 72 thousand, and 75 thousand at years ended 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. Regular employees are defined as active executive, management, professional, technical, and wage employees who work full time or part time for the Corporation and are covered by the Corporation's benefit plans and programs.

FY2022 10-K
Added
Filed Feb 22, 2023

ITEM 1. BUSINESS Exxon Mobil Corporation was incorporated in the State of New Jersey in 1882. Divisions and affiliated companies of ExxonMobil operate or market products in the United States and most other countries of the world. Our principal business involves exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas; manufacture, trade, transport and sale of crude oil, natural gas, petroleum products, petrochemicals, and a wide variety of specialty products; and pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and lower-emission fuels. Affiliates of ExxonMobil conduct extensive research programs in support of these businesses. Exxon Mobil Corporation has several divisions and hundreds of affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso, Mobil or XTO. For convenience and simplicity, in this report the terms ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso, Mobil, and XTO, as well as terms like Corporation, Company, our, we, and its, are sometimes used as abbreviated references to specific affiliates or groups of affiliates. The precise meaning depends on the context in question. The energy and petrochemical industries are highly competitive, both within the industries and also with other industries in supplying the energy, fuel, and chemical needs of industrial and individual consumers. Certain industry participants, including ExxonMobil, are expanding investments in lower-emission energy and emission-reduction services and technologies. The Corporation competes with other firms in the sale or purchase of needed goods and services in many national and international markets and employs all methods of competition which are lawful and appropriate for such purposes. Operating data and industry segment information for the Corporation are contained in the Financial Section of this report under the following: "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations: Business Results" and "Note 18: Disclosures about Segments and Related Information". Information on oil and gas reserves is contained in the "Oil and Gas Reserves" part of the "Supplemental Information on Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Activities" portion of the Financial Section of this report. ExxonMobil has a long-standing commitment to the development of proprietary technology. We have a wide array of research programs designed to meet the needs identified in each of our business segments. ExxonMobil held over 8 thousand active patents worldwide at the end of 2022. For technology licensed to third parties, revenues totaled approximately $129 million in 2022. Although technology is an important contributor to the overall operations and results of our Company, the profitability of each business segment is not dependent on any individual patent, trade secret, trademark, license, franchise, or concession. ExxonMobil operates in a highly complex, competitive, and changing global energy business environment where decisions and risks play out over time horizons that are often decades in length. This long-term orientation underpins the Corporation's philosophy on talent development. Talent development begins with recruiting exceptional candidates and continues with individually planned experiences and training designed to facilitate broad development and a deep understanding of our business across the business cycle. Our career-oriented approach to talent development results in strong retention and an average length of service of about 30 years for our career employees. Compensation, benefits, and workplace programs support the Corporation's talent management approach, and are designed to attract and retain employees for a career through compensation that is market competitive, long-term oriented, and highly differentiated by individual performance. Over 60 percent of our global employee workforce is from outside the U.S., and over the past decade 39 percent of our global hires for management, professional and technical positions were female and 35 percent of our U.S. hires for management, professional and technical positions were minorities. With over 160 nationalities represented in the company, we encourage and respect diversity of thought, ideas, and perspective from our workforce. We consider and monitor diversity through all stages of employment, including recruitment, training, and development of our employees. We also work closely with the communities where we operate to identify and invest in initiatives that help support local needs, including local talent and skill development. The number of regular employees was 62 thousand, 63 thousand, and 72 thousand at years ended 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. Regular employees are defined as active executive, management, professional, technical, and wage employees who work full time or part time for the Corporation and are covered by the Corporation's benefit plans and programs. 1