Exxon, Chevron CEO Discusses Merger

John D. by this deal. The two largest descendants of Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Monopoly would rejoin, which was disbanded by US regulators in 1911, and reopen the oil industry.

A combined company may have a market value of $ 350 billion. Exxon has a market value of $ 190 billion, while Chevron has $ 164 billion. Together, they are likely to create the world’s second-largest oil company by market capitalization and production, producing around 7 million barrels of oil and gas a day, based on pre-epidemic levels, Saudi Aramco K is the second only in both measures.

But the merger of the two largest US oil companies could pose regulatory and lethal challenges under the Biden administration. President Biden has said that climate change is one of the country’s biggest crises. In October, he said he would push the country forward for a “transition away from the oil industry”. He has not been vocal about antitrust cases, and the administration has yet to nominate the head of the Justice Department for that division.

One of those familiar with the talks said the parties might miss an opportunity to consume the agreement under former President Donald Trump, whose administration was considered more favorable to the industry.

A handful of oil and gas deals were completed last year, including Chevron’s $ 5 billion Noble Energy Inc. and ConocoPhillips COP. -2.63%

Resources The acquisition of Conco Resources Inc. for approximately $ 10 billion, but nothing close to the scale of the combination of San Ramon, California. Chevron and Irving, Texas-based Exxon.

The deal would surpass the size of the mega-oil-merger of the late 1990s and early 2000s, which included Exxon and Mobil and a combination of Chevron and Texaco Inc.

It may also be the largest corporate tie-up ever by virtue of its structure. The distinction currently relates to the purchase of German conglomerate Manzmann AG by Vodafone Airtouch plc in 2000 for approximately $ 181 billion according to Diodic.

Many investors, analysts and energy executives have called for consolidation in the troubled oil and gas industry, arguing that cost reductions and improved operational efficiencies will help companies during the epidemic-driven recession season and uncertainties in many countries Preparations will be made to reduce the future. Their dependence on fossil fuels to combat climate change.

In an interview on Friday discussing Chevron’s earnings, Mr. Wirth, who acts as Mr. Woods as the board chairman of his company, said consolidation could make the industry more efficient. He was speaking generally and not about a possible Exxon-Chevron merger.

“As for things on a larger scale, this has happened before,” Mr. Wirth said, referring to the 1990s and early 2000s. “Time will tell.”

Paul Sanke, an independent analyst who envisaged the merger of Chevron and Exxon in October, estimated at the time that the combined company would have a market capitalization of about $ 300 billion and $ 100 billion in debt. A merger allowed him to cut $ 15 billion in administrative expenses and $ 10 billion in annual capital expenditures.

Exxon was America’s most valuable company seven years ago, with a market value of over $ 400 billion, almost double Chevron. But Excon has fallen from its heights after a series of strategic accidents, which were escalated by the epidemic. It has been accepted as a profit engine by tech giants like Apple Inc.

AAPL -3.74%

And Amazon.com Inc.

AMZN -0.97%

In recent years and for the first time removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average since it was added in 1928 as Standard Oil in New Jersey.

Its market capitalization is now about a quarter of that of electric-carmaker Tesla. Inc.

Which has a market value of about $ 752 billion.

Exxon shares declined nearly 29% compared to last year, while Chevron shares are down nearly 20%. Chevron topped Exxon in market capitalization in the fall.

Exxon endured one of its worst financial performances in 2020. It is expected to report losses for the fourth consecutive quarter for the first time in modern history on Tuesday and has already posted losses of more than $ 2 billion through the first three quarters of 2020.

Chevron has also struggled, reporting about $ 5.5 billion in losses to 2020 on Friday. But investors have expressed more confidence in Chevron, as it entered a recession with a stronger balance sheet – as it did before the epidemic, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. Walked away with its $ 33 billion bid to buy, an outbreak for Occidental Petroleum. Corp

OXY -4.25%

In 2019.

According to S&P Global Intelligence Intelligence, Exxon has about $ 69 billion in debt in September, while Chevron has about $ 35 billion.

There has been a rapid rise in some investors about Exxon’s direction under Mr. Woods as the company faces a rapidly changing energy industry and a growing global consciousness for climate change. Some are also concerned that Exxon may have to cut its huge dividend due to its high debt level, which costs around $ 15 billion annually. Many individual investors rely on payments as a source of income.

Mr. Woods embarked on an ambitious plan in 2018 to spend $ 230 billion to pump one million barrels of oil and gas by 2025. In November, Exxon backed out of the plan and said it would cut billions of dollars from its capital spending every year by 2025 and focus only on investing in the most promising assets.

Meanwhile, the company’s crisis has helped attract the attention of active investors. One of them, Engine No. 1 LLC, has argued that the company should focus more on investing in clean energy while cutting costs elsewhere to preserve its dividend. The firm on Wednesday named four directors on Exxon’s board and called for it to make strategic changes to its business plan.

Exxon is also in talks with another activist, the DA Shaw Group, and announces one or more new board members, additional spending cuts and investments in new technologies to help reduce its carbon emissions Is preparing for

Rivals like BP BP -2.80%

PLC and Royal Dutch Shell RDS.A -3.53%

PLC has adopted a bold strategy to remake its business in the form of regulatory and investor pressure to reduce carbon emissions. Both have said they will invest heavily in renewable energy – a strategy that their investors have not yet rewarded.

Exxon and Chevron have not invested enough in renewable energy, instead opting to double oil and gas. Both companies have argued that the world will need large amounts of fossil fuels for decades to come, and that they can capitalize on the current low investment in oil production.

write to Christopher M. Matthews Christopher at [email protected], Emily Glazer at [email protected] and Car Lombardo at [email protected]