ExxonMobil announces full-year 2022 results

This press release also references structural cost savings. Structural cost savings describe decreases in cash opex excluding energy and production taxes as a result of operational efficiencies, workforce reductions, and other cost-saving measures that are expected to be sustainable compared to 2019 levels. Relative to 2019, estimated cumulative structural cost savings totaled $7 billion. The total change between periods in expenses above will reflect both structural cost savings and other changes in spend, including market factors, such as inflation and foreign exchange impacts, as well as changes in activity levels and costs associated with new operations. Estimates of cumulative annual structural savings may be revised depending on whether cost reductions realized in prior periods are determined to be sustainable compared to 2019 levels. Structural cost savings are stewarded internally to support management’s oversight of spending over time. This measure is useful for investors to understand the Corporation’s efforts to optimize spending through disciplined expense management.

ExxonMobil will discuss financial and operating results and other matters during a webcast at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on January 31, 2023. To listen to the event or access an archived replay, please visit www.exxonmobil.com.

Cautionary Statement

Outlooks; projections; descriptions of strategic, operating, and financial plans and objectives; statements of future ambitions and plans; and other statements of future events or conditions in this release, are forward-looking statements. Similarly, discussion of future carbon capture, biofuel and hydrogen plans to drive towards net zero emissions are dependent on future market factors, such as continued technological progress and policy support, and represent forward-looking statements. Actual future results, including financial and operating performance; total capital expenditures and mix, including allocations of capital to low carbon solutions; cost reductions and efficiency gains, including the ability to offset inflationary pressure; plans to reduce future emissions and emissions intensity; ambitions to reach Scope 1 and Scope 2 net zero from operated assets by 2050, reaching Scope 1 and 2 net zero in Upstream Permian Basin unconventional operated assets by 2030, eliminating routine flaring in-line with World Bank Zero Routine Flaring, reaching near-zero methane emissions from its operations, meeting ExxonMobil’s emission reduction goals and plans, divestment and start-up plans, and associated project plans as well as technology efforts,  timing and outcome of projects to capture and store CO₂, and produced biofuels; timing and outcome of hydrogen projects; cash flow, dividends and shareholder returns, including the timing and amounts of share repurchases; future debt levels and credit ratings; business and project plans, timing, costs, capacities and returns; and resource recoveries and production rates could differ materially due to a number of factors. These include global or regional changes in the supply and demand for oil, natural gas, petrochemicals, and feedstocks and other market conditions that impact prices and differentials for our products; government policies supporting lower carbon investment opportunities such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act or policies limiting the attractiveness of future investment such as the European tax on the energy sector; variable impacts of trading activities on our margins and results each quarter; actions of competitors and commercial counterparties; the outcome of commercial negotiations, including final agreed terms and conditions; the ability to access debt markets; the ultimate impacts of COVID-19, including the effects of government responses on people and economies; reservoir performance, including variability and timing factors applicable to unconventional resources; the outcome of exploration projects and decisions to invest in future reserves; timely completion of development and other construction projects; final management approval of future projects and any changes in the scope, terms, or costs of such projects as approved; changes in law, taxes, or regulation including environmental regulations, trade sanctions, and timely granting of governmental permits and certifications; government policies and support and market demand for low carbon technologies; war, and other political or security disturbances; expropriations, seizure, or capacity, insurance or shipping limitations by foreign governments or laws; opportunities for potential investments or divestments and satisfaction of applicable conditions to closing, including regulatory approvals; the capture of efficiencies within and between business lines and the ability to maintain near-term cost reductions as ongoing efficiencies; unforeseen technical or operating difficulties and unplanned maintenance; the development and competitiveness of alternative energy and emission reduction technologies; the results of research programs and the ability to bring new technologies to commercial scale on a cost-competitive basis; and other factors discussed under Item 1A. Risk Factors of ExxonMobil’s 2021 Form 10-K.

Forward-looking and other statements regarding our environmental, social and other sustainability efforts and aspirations are not an indication that these statements are necessarily material to investors or requiring disclosure in our filing with the SEC. In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking environmental, social and sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future, including future rule-making.

Frequently Used Terms and Non-GAAP Measures

This press release includes cash flow from operations and asset sales (non-GAAP). Because of the regular nature of our asset management and divestment program, the company believes it is useful for investors to consider proceeds associated with the sales of subsidiaries, property, plant and equipment, and sales and returns of investments together with cash provided by operating activities when evaluating cash available for investment in the business and financing activities. A reconciliation to net cash provided by operating activities for 2021 and 2022 periods is shown on page 8.

This press release also includes cash flow from operations and asset sales excluding working capital (non-GAAP). The company believes it is useful for investors to consider these numbers in comparing the underlying performance of the company’s business across periods when there are significant period-to-period differences in the amount of changes in working capital. A reconciliation to net cash provided by operating activities for 2021 and 2022 periods is shown on page 8.

This press release also includes earnings/(loss) excluding identified items (non-GAAP), which are earnings/(loss) excluding individually significant non-operational events with an absolute corporate total earnings impact of at least $250 million in a given quarter. The earnings/(loss) impact of an identified item for an individual segment may be less than $250 million when the item impacts several periods or several segments. Earnings/(loss) excluding identified items does include non-operational earnings events or impacts that are below the $250 million threshold utilized for identified items. When the effect of these events is significant in aggregate, it is indicated in analysis of period results as part of quarterly earnings press release and teleconference materials. Management uses these figures to improve comparability of the underlying business across multiple periods by isolating and removing significant non-operational events from business results. The Corporation believes this view provides investors increased transparency into business results and trends and provides investors with a view of the business as seen through the eyes of management. Earnings excluding identified items is not meant to be viewed in isolation or as a substitute for net income/(loss) attributable to ExxonMobil as prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. A reconciliation to earnings is shown for 2022 and 2021 periods in Attachments II-a and II-b. Corresponding per share amounts are shown on page 1 and in Attachment II-a, including a reconciliation to earnings/(loss) per common share – assuming dilution (U.S. GAAP).

This press release also includes total taxes including sales-based taxes. This is a broader indicator of the total tax burden on the Corporation’s products and earnings, including certain sales and value-added taxes imposed on and concurrent with revenue-producing transactions with customers and collected on behalf of governmental authorities (“sales-based taxes”). It combines “Income taxes” and “Total other taxes and duties” with sales-based taxes, which are reported net in the income statement. The company believes it is useful for the Corporation and its investors to understand the total tax burden imposed on the Corporation’s products and earnings. A reconciliation to total taxes is shown in Attachment I-a.

This press release also references free cash flow (non-GAAP). Free cash flow is the sum of net cash provided by operating activities and net cash flow used in investing activities. This measure is useful when evaluating cash available for financing activities, including shareholder distributions, after investment in the business. Free cash flow is not meant to be viewed in isolation or as a substitute for net cash provided by operating activities. A reconciliation to net cash provided by operating activities for 2021 and 2022 periods is shown on page 8.

References to resources or resource base may include quantities of oil and natural gas classified as proved reserves, as well as quantities that are not yet classified as proved reserves, but that are expected to be ultimately recoverable. The term “resource base” or similar terms are not intended to correspond to SEC definitions such as “probable” or “possible” reserves. A reconciliation of production excluding divestments, entitlements, and government mandates to actual production is contained in the Supplement to this release included as Exhibit 99.2 to the Form 8-K filed the same day as this news release.

The term “project” as used in this release can refer to a variety of different activities and does not necessarily have the same meaning as in any government payment transparency reports. Projects or plans may not reflect investment decisions made by the company. Individual opportunities may advance based on a number of factors, including availability of supportive policy, technology for cost-effective abatement, and alignment with our partners and other stakeholders. The company may refer to these opportunities as projects in external disclosures at various stages throughout their progression.

This press release also references return on capital employed (ROCE) (non-GAAP). The Corporation’s total ROCE is net income attributable to ExxonMobil, excluding the after-tax cost of financing, divided by total corporate average capital employed. The Corporation has consistently applied its ROCE definition for many years and views it as one of the best measures of historical capital productivity in our capital-intensive, long-term industry, both to evaluate management’s performance and to demonstrate to shareholders that capital has been used wisely over the long term. Additional measures, which are more cash-flow based, are used to make investment decisions. A reconciliation to net income/(loss) attributable to ExxonMobil and to Total assets for 2021 and 2022 periods are shown on page 8.

Reference to Earnings

References to corporate earnings mean net income attributable to ExxonMobil (U.S. GAAP) from the consolidated income statement. Unless otherwise indicated, references to earnings, Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, Specialty Products and Corporate and Financing segment earnings, and earnings per share are ExxonMobil’s share after excluding amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests.

Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Mobil, Esso, and XTO. For convenience and simplicity, those terms and terms such as Corporation, company, our, we, and its are sometimes used as abbreviated references to specific affiliates or affiliate groups. Similarly, ExxonMobil has business relationships with thousands of customers, suppliers, governments, and others. For convenience and simplicity, words such as venture, joint venture, partnership, co-venturer, and partner are used to indicate business and other relationships involving common activities and interests, and those words may not indicate precise legal relationships. ExxonMobil’s ambitions, plans and goals do not guarantee any action or future performance by its affiliates or Exxon Mobil Corporation’s responsibility for those affiliates’ actions and future performance, each affiliate of which manages its own affairs.

Throughout this press release, both Exhibit 99.1 as well as Exhibit 99.2, due to rounding, numbers presented may not add up precisely to the totals indicated.