Honestly, if you’re just looking at the ticker symbol, you’re missing the real drama. ExxonMobil is currently locked in what feels like a corporate thriller. On one side, you have the company hitting record stock highs near $125; on the other, CEO Darren Woods is essentially playing a game of chicken with the White House over the future of South American oil.
It’s a wild time for the energy giant.
The Venezuela Tension: Why Darren Woods Said "No" to the President
The biggest story in ExxonMobil recent news isn't actually about drilling—it's about a massive political rift. After the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, the U.S. administration essentially invited Big Oil back into Venezuela to rebuild its crumbling infrastructure.
You’d think Exxon would jump at the chance to reclaim the assets they lost to nationalization back in 2007.
Instead, Darren Woods called the country "uninvestable."
He wasn't being dramatic. He was being a bean counter. Woods told the administration that without ironclad legal protections and a complete overhaul of hydrocarbon laws, Exxon won't risk a single penny of shareholder capital. This stance reportedly annoyed President Trump, who suggested he might just exclude Exxon from the Venezuelan transition entirely.
While Chevron is already moving, Exxon is staying behind the velvet rope. It’s a gutsy move that shows the company cares way more about its 2026 balance sheet than playing geopolitical favorites.
Why the Permian and Guyana are Carrying the Weight
If Exxon isn't rushing into Venezuela, where is the money coming from? Basically, they've turned the Permian Basin and Guyana into a literal cash machine.
The integration of Pioneer Natural Resources is finally complete. By January 2026, we’ve seen the "Pioneer effect" in full force. Exxon isn't just drilling more; they’re drilling smarter using Pioneer’s data-driven shale techniques. This has slashed the cost per barrel, allowing them to remain highly profitable even with Brent crude hovering around $60.
Then there's Guyana.
The Stabroek block is arguably the best oil asset on the planet right now. Production is on a trajectory to hit 1.5 million barrels per day by 2030. When people ask about ExxonMobil recent news, they usually want to know if the dividend is safe. With the cash flowing from Guyana, it’s more than safe—it’s a fortress.
The Lithium Pivot: More Than Just a PR Stunt
You've probably heard that Exxon is getting into the battery business. It sounds like greenwashing, but the numbers in Arkansas suggest otherwise.
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Down in the Smackover Formation in Southwest Arkansas, Exxon is currently scaling up its "Mobil Lithium" brand. They aren't doing traditional mining. Instead, they’re using Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE).
Basically, they:
- Drill 10,000 feet down into salty brine.
- Pull the lithium out using a process similar to a water softener.
- Re-inject the water back into the ground.
It’s a clever use of their existing oil-drilling expertise for a completely different market. By 2030, they want to produce enough lithium to power a million EVs a year. In early 2026, the focus has shifted from "can we do this?" to "how fast can we build the power lines?" The local infrastructure in Arkansas is the main bottleneck right now, not the technology itself.
Golden Pass LNG: The 2026 Milestone
If you track natural gas, you know Golden Pass LNG is the big one. This joint venture with QatarEnergy is finally nearing the finish line in southeast Texas.
Recent reports show that Train 1 is undergoing "cool-down" operations. They’ve already received a cargo of LNG from Qatar just to chill the pipes. The first export cargo is expected in February 2026.
This is huge because it adds about 800 million cubic feet per day of demand to the U.S. market. For Exxon, it’s another massive, predictable revenue stream that isn't tied to the volatility of crude oil prices.
The Q4 2025 Earnings Reality Check
It hasn't been all record highs and celebrations. On January 7, the company warned that lower crude prices would likely shave about $1.2 billion off their upstream earnings for the quarter.
- Projected EPS: Analysts are looking at roughly $1.66 to $1.68 per share.
- Previous Quarter: They hit $1.88.
- The Silver Lining: Even with the dip, the company is maintaining its $20 billion annual share repurchase program through 2026.
What This Means for Your Portfolio
If you're holding XOM or thinking about it, here is the ground truth. The company is no longer the "dinosaur" it was five years ago. They have the lowest production costs in the industry and a growing "Low Carbon Solutions" business that actually makes sense.
The spat with the White House over Venezuela is a headline-grabber, but it’s mostly noise. Exxon’s refusal to chase "bad" barrels in a politically unstable country is actually a sign of discipline. They'd rather spend that money on carbon capture projects—where they already have 9 million metric tons of CO2 under contract—or on their lithium wells in Arkansas.
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Actionable Insights for Investors
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on ExxonMobil recent news, stop watching the daily price of oil and start watching these three things:
- The Golden Pass Export Date: If that February cargo leaves the dock on time, it’s a massive win for their midstream segment.
- The Arkansas "Final Investment Decision": Watch for a formal "go" signal on the next phase of lithium production. This will tell you if they truly believe they can beat Chinese lithium prices.
- Refining Margins: UBS recently pointed out that Exxon’s refining business is undervalued. Their Gulf Coast refineries are perfectly set up to handle heavy crude. If they do eventually start processing Venezuelan oil at the Baton Rouge refinery, their margins could explode because that heavy "sour" crude is much cheaper to buy.
Exxon is currently a "financial fortress" that’s acting more like a tech company in terms of its data usage and more like a bank in terms of its capital discipline. The days of reckless spending are over. Whether they end up back in Venezuela or not, the 2026 roadmap looks incredibly sturdy.
Keep an eye on the January 30 earnings call. That’s when Darren Woods will likely have to answer for the "uninvestable" comments and provide a clearer timeline for the first lithium sales.