Exxon Mobil Corporation says that additions to its proved reserves in 2009 totaled 2.0 billion oil-equivalent barrels, replacing 133 percent of production. Excluding the impact of asset sales, reserves additions replaced 134 percent of production. These additions are based on the corporation's definition of proved reserves, which utilizes the long-term pricing basis that the corporation uses to make its investment decisions. This is a different price basis than the SEC basis, which uses 12-month average prices for the 2009 year-end reserves calculation.

'ExxonMobil is an industry leader in reserves replacement,' said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer. 'We have replaced more than 100 percent of production for 16 consecutive years, reflecting our strategic focus on resource capture, a disciplined approach to investment and excellence in project execution. Adding new reserves ensures that ExxonMobil will continue to develop new supplies of energy to meet future demand and support economic growth and improved standards of living."

The annual reporting of proved reserves is the product of the corporation's long-standing, rigorous process that ensures consistency and management accountability in all reserves bookings.

The corporation's reserves additions in 2009, the highest in the decade, reflect new developments with significant funding commitments as well as revisions and extensions of existing fields resulting from drilling, studies and analysis of reservoir performance. Reserves additions from the Papua New Guinea LNG project and the Gorgon Jansz LNG project in Australia totaled almost one billion oil equivalent barrels. Proved additions were also made in many other countries including Canada, the United States, Angola and Norway.

At year-end 2009, ExxonMobil's proved reserves base, utilizing the corporation's definition of year-end reserves, increased to 23.3 billion oil-equivalent barrels, split approximately evenly between liquids and gas (51 percent liquids, 49 percent gas). The 2009 proved developed reserves add of 2.9 billion oil-equivalent barrels was also the highest in the decade driven by the successful startup of a number of significant projects. This increased the portion of proved reserves already developed to 67 percent.

Using the SEC's pricing basis, proved reserves replacement was 1.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels in 2009, replacing 100 percent of production, including the effect of asset sales, oil sands extracted by mining and equity company reserves.

Tags: Exxon Mobil Corporation