ExxonMobil

Introduction

Every day, nearly 4.6 million barrels of oil—enough to produce approximately 92 million gallons of gasoline and 60 million gallons of jet fuel and lubricants—are extracted by a single company: ExxonMobil.

While this immense level of production plays a key role in supporting the transportation and energy system across the United States, it comes down to a dark hidden cost: the immense release of toxic pollutants into the environment and the exposure of ExxonMobil employees to hazardous chemicals, posing serious risks to environmental sustainability and human health.

ExxonMobil is one of the most successful oil and gas companies due to its massive integrated operations and highly skilled workforce. The company produces large quantities of oil and natural gas each day, supporting transportation systems and energy supply across the United States. However, numerous scientific studies and reports have raised concerns about ExxonMobil’s production, which releases significant amounts of toxic pollutants into the environment, contributing to the worsening climate crisis. This reflects the economic overshoot of ExxonMobil’s production, where extraction and production level exceeds environmental limits and prioritizes profit over sustainability. In addition to environmental damage, employees working in ExxonMobil facilities are exposed to harmful substances and unsafe conditions, placing their health and wellbeing at risk.

Stages of ExxonMobil’s production

First, however, it is important to examine the system of production of ExxonMobil. According to Neotek Inovasi Global, the cycle begins with a process called upstream, which focuses on the exploration and extraction of natural resources. During this stage, geologists use seismic surveys and advanced data to locate underground oil and natural gas reserves.

Once potential reserves are identified, drilling operations are carried out to extract crude oil and natural gas from beneath the Earth’s surface. This stage, however, carries lots of environmental risks, including oil spills, gas leaks, and habitat destruction, which have been documented in multiple oil-producing regions of the United States.

Following the upstream is a process called midstream, which is moving the gathered sources into transportation for storage. This is where oil and gas are transferred through pipelines, ships, and trucks, and stored in facilities before further processing.

The final stage is the downstream stage, in which the extracted resources are refined into usable products. Crude oil is processed into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants, and asphalt, which are then distributed and consumed across the United States.

Benefits of ExxonMobil

So, the production cycle of oil and natural gas by ExxonMobil has both positive and negative impacts on people and the environment. On a social and economic scale, ExxonMobil plays a significant role in supporting everyday life in the United States by supplying large quantities of energy needed for transportation and industry. Blackridge Research & Consulting stated that the company produces approximately 3.7 million oil barrels per day in the U.S.

This helps to ensure reliable fuel availability, energy security and supports economic stability by keeping transportation systems functioning efficiently.

The hidden drawbacks

However, despite these benefits, ExxonMobil’s large-scale production, especially during upstream, has caused substantial environmental harm, particularly through its contribution to climate change. According to a 2004 climate footprint report, written based on data and climate researchers, analyzed ExxonMobil’s cumulative contribution to climate change since 1882, it turned out that the company was responsible for an estimated 20.3 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions.

This data shows ExxonMobil’s harmful emissions, placing ExxonMobil among the largest industrial greenhouse gas emitters in the U.S. Furthermore, the Business & Human Rights Center stated that several researchers reported ExxonMobil for violating the U.S. Clean Air Act, a key federal law designed to regulate air pollution, several times between 2005 and 2013. This research shows Exxon’s economic overshoot, releasing millions of pounds of pollutants and prioritizing operational efficiency and profit over environmental compliance, nature and community health.

Additionally, Exxon also releases a toxic pollutant called Volatile Organic Compounds, VOC. According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, these emissions pose risks not only to environmental quality but also to employee’s health, as prolonged exposure to VOCs has been associated with liver, kidney damage, respiratory illnesses, and increased cancer risk. In other words, Exxon’s release of chemical and toxic pollutants negatively intersects with the United States’ effort in trying to make the air clean and unpolluted, in addition to the worker’s health.

Conclusion

ExxonMobil has always been one of the most successful chain oil and gas companies globally, never failing to constantly produce sufficient amounts of oil barrels everyday, helping the nation’s transportation system and energy demands.

However, successfulness doesn’t always come the right way: and in this case, it’s ExxonMobil. Violating the United States’ Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act multiple times for several years, along with contributing 5.3% to the global CO2 emissions, not setting anything to help achieve the global Paris Agreement, and having employees work in the toxic condition for 10+ hour shifts, Exxon surely is not the best oil company as we mostly think it is. And, if ExxonMobil does not go green soon, it is best for everyone to think: is ExxonMobil really a good company for the environment?

Works Cited

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