Home » Exxon Annual Reports » 2011 Annual Report - page 20

Exxon 2011 Annual Report Download - page 20

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 20 of the 2011 Exxon annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:

High-Impact Technologies

The pursuit of new technologies is a key contributor to our long-term success. We consistently invest significant

amounts in research and development across our businesses to unlock value, improve operations, and deliver

high-value products.

UNLOCKING RESOURCE VALUE

The technologies pursued by our Upstream business have unlocked significant

value in previously uneconomic resources such as heavy oil and those found in tight

reservoirs, as well as in difficult arctic and deepwater environments.

In addition, recent investments in high-performance computing at our Upstream

Research Company have enabled a variety of computationally intensive technologies.

For example, our newly developed seismic inversion methodology significantly

enhances our ability to model complex seismic data. With this technology, our seismic

imaging is the industry’s most advanced, allowing for accurate subsurface models

critical to developing optimal drilling and reservoir development plans.

Extended-reach drilling technology allows us to access challenging and complex reservoirs and to reduce the number of

facilities needed to produce oil and gas. We have drilled 23 of the world’s 27 longest-reach wells. In 2011, we completed a

world-record 7.1-mile-long horizontal-reach well in the challenging arctic environment near Sakhalin Island in Russia.

We are also progressing a number of technologies to enable the commercial development of in situ bitumen, where this heavy

petroleum resource lies too deep for surface mining and is difficult to produce with conventional wells. Current efforts are

focused on the use of solvents to access undeveloped resources, improve bitumen recovery, lower water use, and reduce

greenhouse gas emissions. These important advances are being applied and tested at our heavy oil fields in Canada.

IMPROVING OPERATIONS

We develop technology aimed at improving our operations. For example, in our Downstream business, we have a proprietary

process to understand the molecular structure of the raw materials used in our refineries to optimize operations and obtain greater

yields of higher-value products. As we have done over many decades, we also direct research at improving the catalysts that

are central to the conversion of crude oil into marketable products. In addition, technology aids in the development of supply

chain models that optimize the placement of feedstocks. Our advanced downstream technologies work together to maximize

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS TO MEET GROWING DEMAND

Improving Operations

• Cogeneration

• Feedstock flexibility

• Catalyst improvements

• CFZ technology

Technological innovation plays

a central role in meeting the

growing demand for energy and