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Oct. 27, 2005 — While Americans were stung by historically high gas prices this fall, the world's biggest oil companies saw their profits skyrocket.
On Tuesday, ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly-traded oil company, announced net income of $9.9 billion for the most recent quarter, eclipsing analyst expectations and dwarfing the $5.68 billion reported for the same quarter a year ago. It was the largest quarterly profit ever for a U.S. company.
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ExxonMobil wasn't alone. Royal Dutch Shell said today that profits grew 68 percent, to $9.03 billion, last quarter. Earlier in the week, BP announced profits at 34 percent above last year's levels, and ConocoPhillips saw revenue jump 43 percent.
The reason? High gas prices.
"The recent hurricanes in the U.S. have impacted our results. However, underlying performance is strong, amplified by high but volatile prices of oil, gas and products," BP Chief Executive Lord Browne said in a statement announcing the company's performance.
Consumers Pay Up
Despite temporary interruptions to refinery and delivery operations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast, an accompanying surge in crude oil prices and prices at the pump allowed oil companies to bolster their earnings. Crude oil represents more than 50 percent of the cost of gasoline, and many oil companies were able to capitalize when the cost of a barrel of crude climbed above $60.
"What might have been lost in terms of production and refining capacity was more than made up for by the hurricanes driving oil prices up a couple dollars a barrel," said John Parry, an analyst with John S. Herold.
The oil giants' windfall is a stark contrast to the ugly scenes around U.S. gas stations in September — hours-long lines of drivers desperate to fill up, despite prices that often topped $3 per gallon. Some politicians are questioning why oil companies profited so much while consumers struggled to fill their tanks.
Even Republican lawmakers, who have historically counted on support from the oil industry, have asked for answers.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist today called for Senate hearings to examine the reasons for high energy prices. Noting the contradiction between the soaring profits and squeezed consumer budgets, Frist requested that executives from the country's major oil companies attend the hearings.
Calls for New Refineries
On Tuesday House Speaker Dennis Hastert urged U.S. oil companies to invest in building more refineries and better communicate their efforts at bringing down oil and natural gas costs. It has been 30 years, he noted, since a new refinery has been built in the United States, and extra refining capacity could prevent the shortages and price spikes that follow natural disasters.
But Parry said that, although new refineries have not opened, many companies have made improvements and expansions to their existing infrastructure and refining capacity.
"Total refining capacity has been increased by 10 percent in the past decade — that's the equivalent of adding seven to eight new refineries," he said.
At least one lawmaker is even demanding reimbursement for consumers. Earlier this fall, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., proposed a temporary windfall tax on big oil companies — a 50-percent excise tax on oil company profits when the price of domestic oil is above $40 per barrel. The annual revenues collected from the tax would be returned to individual taxpayers as rebates.
After Katrina, Widespread Suspicions of Price Gouging
Consumers have been equally unhappy, with many suspecting price gouging after the hurricanes. In a September ABC News poll, 72 percent of respondents said they believed the rise to $3 gas was a result of oil companies and gas dealers taking unfair advantage of the post-hurricane situation.
While complaints have grown louder this week, Parry noted that oil company profits have been weaker over the past decade, as many invested millions and even billions to comply with new environmental standards. Also, refinery and pipeline construction are billion-dollar undertakings that take years, making it unlikely the recent public outcry will produce an immediate response from the oil industry.
"It looks a little bad right now. There will be some pressure on companies to spend on things like pipeline infrastructure, but you might not see the evidence of that for another year or two," Parry said.
Oct. 27, 2005 — While Americans were stung by historically high gas prices this fall, the world's biggest oil companies saw their profits skyrocket.
On Tuesday, ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly-traded oil company, announced net income of $9.9 billion for the most recent quarter, eclipsing analyst expectations and dwarfing the $5.68 billion reported for the same quarter a year ago. It was the largest quarterly profit ever for a U.S. company.
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'Working Wounded': Building a Great Career
Dow Gains 172, Nasdaq Up 26 on GDP Growth
Latest Market Details
ExxonMobil wasn't alone. Royal Dutch Shell said today that profits grew 68 percent, to $9.03 billion, last quarter. Earlier in the week, BP announced profits at 34 percent above last year's levels, and ConocoPhillips saw revenue jump 43 percent.
The reason? High gas prices.
"The recent hurricanes in the U.S. have impacted our results. However, underlying performance is strong, amplified by high but volatile prices of oil, gas and products," BP Chief Executive Lord Browne said in a statement announcing the company's performance.
Consumers Pay Up
Despite temporary interruptions to refinery and delivery operations after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast, an accompanying surge in crude oil prices and prices at the pump allowed oil companies to bolster their earnings. Crude oil represents more than 50 percent of the cost of gasoline, and many oil companies were able to capitalize when the cost of a barrel of crude climbed above $60.
"What might have been lost in terms of production and refining capacity was more than made up for by the hurricanes driving oil prices up a couple dollars a barrel," said John Parry, an analyst with John S. Herold.
The oil giants' windfall is a stark contrast to the ugly scenes around U.S. gas stations in September — hours-long lines of drivers desperate to fill up, despite prices that often topped $3 per gallon. Some politicians are questioning why oil companies profited so much while consumers struggled to fill their tanks.
Even Republican lawmakers, who have historically counted on support from the oil industry, have asked for answers.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist today called for Senate hearings to examine the reasons for high energy prices. Noting the contradiction between the soaring profits and squeezed consumer budgets, Frist requested that executives from the country's major oil companies attend the hearings.
Calls for New Refineries
On Tuesday House Speaker Dennis Hastert urged U.S. oil companies to invest in building more refineries and better communicate their efforts at bringing down oil and natural gas costs. It has been 30 years, he noted, since a new refinery has been built in the United States, and extra refining capacity could prevent the shortages and price spikes that follow natural disasters.
But Parry said that, although new refineries have not opened, many companies have made improvements and expansions to their existing infrastructure and refining capacity.
"Total refining capacity has been increased by 10 percent in the past decade — that's the equivalent of adding seven to eight new refineries," he said.
At least one lawmaker is even demanding reimbursement for consumers. Earlier this fall, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., proposed a temporary windfall tax on big oil companies — a 50-percent excise tax on oil company profits when the price of domestic oil is above $40 per barrel. The annual revenues collected from the tax would be returned to individual taxpayers as rebates.
After Katrina, Widespread Suspicions of Price Gouging
Consumers have been equally unhappy, with many suspecting price gouging after the hurricanes. In a September ABC News poll, 72 percent of respondents said they believed the rise to $3 gas was a result of oil companies and gas dealers taking unfair advantage of the post-hurricane situation.
While complaints have grown louder this week, Parry noted that oil company profits have been weaker over the past decade, as many invested millions and even billions to comply with new environmental standards. Also, refinery and pipeline construction are billion-dollar undertakings that take years, making it unlikely the recent public outcry will produce an immediate response from the oil industry.
"It looks a little bad right now. There will be some pressure on companies to spend on things like pipeline infrastructure, but you might not see the evidence of that for another year or two," Parry said.
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