Exxon Mobil Corporation

Patrick T. Mulva

5959 Las Colinas Boulevard

Vice President and Controller

Irving, TX 75039-2298

972 444 1202 Telephone

972 444 1221 Facsimile

ExxonMobil



May 7, 2008


Mr. H. Roger Schwall

Assistant Director

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Division of Corporation Finance

100 F Street, N.W., Stop 7010

Washington, D.C. 20549


Re:

Exxon Mobil Corporation

Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2007

Filed February 28, 2008

File No. 1-02256


Dear Mr. Schwall:


On behalf of Exxon Mobil Corporation, please find enclosed our response to your comments regarding the above filing set forth in your letter of March 31, 2008.


We also acknowledge that:

·

the company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;

·

staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and

·

the company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.


If you desire clarification of our responses, please direct any questions to Mr. Hugh Comer at 972-444-1290.


Very truly yours,


By:

/s/ Patrick T. Mulva

----------------------------------------

Name:

Patrick T. Mulva

Title:

Vice President and Controller



Attachment


c:

Kevin Stertzel

Mark Wojciechowski





ExxonMobil's Response to the

Comments Included in the SEC Letter of March 31, 2008



Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2007


Legal Comments to Form 10-K filed 2/22/08 for FYE 12/31/07


1.

Please confirm in writing that you will comply with the following comments in all future filings.  Provide us with an example of the disclosure you intend to use.  Please understand that after our review of your responses, we may raise additional comments.


This will confirm that we will comply with the comments in your letter in all future filings.  Set forth below are examples or descriptions of the disclosures that we intend to provide in the future.



Business, page 1


2.

Expand your discussion to describe all material new developments, rather than only “some of the more significant ongoing activities”.  Also discuss the importance to each segment of intellectual property, franchises and concessions, as appropriate.  We note the additional detail that you provide in your Form 8-K filed March 24, 2008, for example.  See Item 101 of Regulation S-K.


The use of the phrase "some of the more significant ongoing activities", as used in Item 2. Properties (page 14), was not intended to indicate that the disclosure did not include all material new developments.  We will remove the phrase from our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.


There are no intellectual properties, franchises or concessions that are individually material to the Upstream, Downstream or Chemical segments.  However, we will add a disclosure to Item 1, Business in the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 similar to the following:


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. Information on Company-sponsored research and development spending is contained in “Note 3: Miscellaneous Financial Information” of the Financial Section of this report.  ExxonMobil held approximately 13 thousand active patents worldwide at the end of 2007.  For technology licensed to third parties, revenues totaled approximately $105 million in 2007.  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.



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Risk Factors, page 2


3.

Provide enhanced disclosure that identifies the risks that apply to you and your business in particular, supplying sufficiently detailed captions and eliminating text that tends to mitigate the risks you discuss.  For example, the last sentence under the broad caption “Political and Legal Factors” discusses how you manage or mitigate risk.  Also ensure that this section contains all known, material risks, and eliminate references to other sections for a discussion of “additional factors”. See Item 503(c) of Regulation S-K.


Our disclosure in Item 1A. Risk Factors, of the 2007 Form 10-K contains all known, material risks to the Corporation.  Given the size and global scope as well as the commodity-based nature of our business, the material risks that apply to ExxonMobil are not particular to the Corporation but consist of factors that affect the oil and gas industry in general.


To address your concerns, we will expand our disclosure in the first paragraph of Item 1A. Risk Factors of the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as follows.  We will also remove all references to how we mitigate risk and references to other sections for discussion of "additional factors."  


Item 1A.  Risk Factors


ExxonMobil's financial and operating results are subject to a variety of risks inherent in the global oil and gas business.  Many of these risk factors are not within the Company's control and could adversely affect our business, our financial and operating results or our financial condition.



Properties, page 4


4.

Please provide all the disclosure that Item 102 of Regulation S-K requires, including segment information.  See also the instructions to Item 102.


The disclosure in Item 2. Properties will be expanded to include a description of the principal properties in our Downstream and Chemical segments.  Below is an example of the disclosures that will be added to the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.


Information with regard to the Downstream segment follows:


ExxonMobil's Downstream segment manufactures and sells petroleum products.  The refining and supply operations encompass a global network of manufacturing plants, transportation systems, and distribution centers that provide a range of fuels, lubricants and other products and feedstocks to our customers around the world.


Followed by a table of refinery capacities (see Exhibit 1).



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The marketing operations sell products and services throughout the world.  Our Exxon, Esso, Mobil and On the Run brands serve customers at more than 32,000 retail service stations.


Followed by a table of retail service station sites (see Exhibit 2).


Information with regard to the Chemical segment follows:


ExxonMobil's Chemical segment manufactures and sells petrochemicals.  The Chemical business supplies olefins, polyolefins, aromatics, and a wide variety of other petrochemicals.


Followed by a table of chemical production complexes and other manufacturing locations (see Exhibit 3).



Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, page 34


General


5.

In this section, you sometimes refer to two or more factors that contributed to material changes over the reported periods.  Revise to quantify the amount of the changes contributed by each of the factors or events that you identify as they relate to revenues, operating expenses and other income or expenses.  Instead of simply using the term “primarily” or “included” to describe changes, quantify the amount of the change that is attributable to the primary source you identify.  See Section III.D of SEC Release 33-6835 (May 18, 1989).


In future filings, when we refer to two or more factors that contribute to material changes over the reported periods, we will expand our disclosure in accordance with Release 33-6835 to include a quantification of the contribution of each factor to the material change, to the extent such quantification is necessary to an understanding of the change.


Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations


Critical Accounting Policies


Oil and Gas Reserves, page 44


6.

We note your disclosure mentions various options associated with making investment decisions including the use of “enhanced recovery methods”.  Please tell us and expand your disclosure to more clearly describe the specific nature of the activities or processes used in your enhanced recovery activities.


Enhanced recovery methods are any method used to extract hydrocarbons from reservoirs in excess of that which may be produced through primary recovery, i.e., through pressure depletion.  They include the process of injecting water, gases, and chemicals into a formation to build up pressure in order to produce hydrocarbons otherwise unobtainable.  Additionally, for use in certain oil deposits which contain



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thick, high viscosity oil that will not flow at economic rates under normal operating conditions, injectants may include steam to increase recovery by making the oil more mobile.


We do not believe that a detailed definition of “enhanced recovery methods” is required or appropriate for inclusion in the Critical Accounting Policies section of the Form 10-K.  Since this reference was only included as an example, and to avoid possible confusion from the inclusion of a specific technical definition, we will remove the reference from the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.  The first two sentences of the Oil and Gas Reserves section of the Critical Accounting Policies will therefore read as follows:  


Evaluations of oil and gas reserves are important to the effective management of Upstream assets.  They are integral to making investment decisions about oil and gas properties such as whether development should proceed.




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EXHIBIT 1



Refining Capacity At Year-End 2007 (1)


 

 

 

 

 

 

ExxonMobil

 

ExxonMobil

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share KBD(2)

 

Interest %

United States

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Torrance

 

California

 

 

150

 

 

 

100

 

Joliet

 

Illinois

 

 

240

 

 

 

100

 

Baton Rouge

 

Louisiana

 

 

503

 

 

 

100

 

Baytown

 

Texas

 

 

567

 

 

 

100

 

Beaumont

 

Texas

 

 

349

 

 

 

100

 

Other (2 refineries)

      

   157

     

Total United States

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,966

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strathcona

 

Alberta

 

 

187

 

 

 

69.6

 

Dartmouth

 

Nova Scotia

 

 

82

 

 

 

69.6

 

Nanticoke

 

Ontario

 

 

112

 

 

 

69.6

 

Sarnia

 

Ontario

 

 

   121

 

 

 

69.6

 

Total Canada

 

 

 

 

 

 

502

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Europe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antwerp

 

Belgium

 

 

305

 

 

 

100

 

Fos-sur-Mer

 

France

 

 

119

 

 

 

82.9

 

Port-Jerome-Gravenchon

 

France

 

 

233

 

 

 

82.9

 

Augusta

 

Italy

 

 

198

 

 

 

100

 

Trecate

 

Italy

 

 

174

 

 

 

75.4

 

Rotterdam

 

Netherlands

 

 

191

 

 

 

100

 

Slagen

 

Norway

 

 

116

 

 

 

100

 

Fawley

 

United Kingdom

 

 

326

 

 

 

100

 

Other (2 refineries)

      

     78

     

Total Europe

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,740

 

 

 

 

 

             

Asia Pacific

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kawasaki(3)

 

Japan

 

 

296

 

 

 

50

 

Sakai(3)

 

Japan

 

 

140

 

 

 

50

 

Wakayama(3)

 

Japan

 

 

155

 

 

 

50

 

Jurong/PAC

 

Singapore

 

 

605

 

 

 

100

 

Sriracha

 

Thailand

 

 

174

 

 

 

87.5

 

Other (7 refineries)

    

   391

     

Total Asia Pacific

  

 

 

1,761

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Non-U.S.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yanbu

 

Saudi Arabia

 

 

200

 

 

 

50

 

Other (4 refineries)

      

   130

     

Total Other Non-U.S.

 

 

 

 

 

 

330

 

 

 

 

 

          

Total Worldwide

 

 

 

 

 

 

6,299

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

 

Capacity data is based on 100 percent of rated refinery process unit stream-day capacities under normal operating conditions, less the impact of shutdowns for regular repair and maintenance activities, averaged over an extended period of time.

 

 

(2)

 

Thousands of barrels per day (KBD).  ExxonMobil share reflects 100 percent of atmospheric distillation capacity in operations of ExxonMobil and majority-owned subsidiaries. For companies owned 50 percent or less, ExxonMobil share is the greater of ExxonMobil’s equity interest or that portion of distillation capacity normally available to ExxonMobil.

 

 

(3)

 

Operated by majority-owned subsidiaries.




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EXHIBIT 2



Retail Sites Year-End 2007

  
  

United States

 

  Owned/leased

2,225

  Distributors/resellers

8,679

Total United States

10,904

 

 

Canada

 

  Owned/leased

583

  Distributors/resellers

1,327

Total Canada

1,910

 

 

Europe

 

  Owned/leased

4,249

  Distributors/resellers

2,843

Total Europe

7,092

 

 

Asia Pacific

 

  Owned/leased

2,568

  Distributors/resellers

4,844

Total Asia Pacific

7,412

 

 

Latin America

 

  Owned/leased

1,196

  Distributors/resellers

2,885

Total Latin America

4,081

 

 

Middle East/Africa

 

  Owned/leased

625

  Distributors/resellers

362

Total Middle East/Africa

987

 

 

Total

 

  Owned/leased

11,446

  Distributors/resellers

20,940

     Total worldwide

32,386





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EXHIBIT 3



 

Chemical Complex Capacity at Year-End 2007 (1)

             
            

ExxonMobil

        

Ethylene

Polyethylene

Polypropylene

Paraxylene

Interest %

 

North America

        
  

Baton Rouge

 

Louisiana

 

1.0

1.3

0.4

-

100

  

Baytown

  

Texas

 

2.2

-

0.8

0.6

100

  

Beaumont

  

Texas

 

0.9

1.0

-

0.3

100

  

Mont Belvieu

 

Texas

 

-

1.0

-

-

100

  

Sarnia

  

Ontario

 

0.3

0.5

-

-

69.6

   

Total North America

   

4.4

3.8

1.2

0.9

 
             
             
 

Europe

         
  

Antwerp

  

Belgium

 

0.5

0.3

-

-

35

  

Fawley

  

United Kingdom

0.1

-

-

-

100

  

Fife

  

United Kingdom

0.4

-

-

-

100

  

Meerhout

  

Belgium

 

-

0.5

-

-

100

  

Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon

France

 

0.4

0.4

0.4

-

100

  

Rotterdam

  

Netherlands

-

-

-

0.6

100

   

Total Europe

   

1.4

1.2

0.4

0.6

 
             
             
 

Middle East

         
  

Al Jubail

  

Saudi Arabia

0.6

0.6

-

-

50

  

Yanbu

  

Saudi Arabia

1.0

0.7

0.2

-

50

   

Total Middle East

   

1.6

1.3

0.2

-

 
             
             
 

Asia Pacific

         
  

Kawasaki

  

Japan

 

0.5

0.1

-

-

50

  

Singapore

  

Singapore

 

0.9

0.6

0.4

0.9

100

  

Sriracha

  

Thailand

 

-

-

-

0.5

87.5

   

Total Asia Pacific

   

1.4

0.7

0.4

1.4

 
             
             
 

All Other

    

-

0.1

-

0.6

 
             
             
 

Total Worldwide

   

8.8

7.1

2.2

3.5

 
  
  
  

(1)

 

Capacity for ethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene and paraxylene in millions of metric tons




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