Chavez is a very strong proponent of OPEC and OPEC policies, so we will have a very united OPEC with Chavez in power. |
I think this is a positive development for both the companies and the industry. The companies are now moving together, looking at a difficult environment for refining and marketing and coming up with proactive ways to combine their entities and hopefully improve their profitability. |
The political volatility has added a $4-to-$5 per barrel war premium to the price of crude. That will stay in the price as long as we have hostilities in the Middle East. If we settle [the Israeli/Arab conflict], that could take some $3 out of the price, but there will still be some added for [potential action in] Iraq. |
We think things are heading back into a normal range. |
While Exxon shares initially fell by 4.5 percent on Dec. 1, 1998, in reaction to the merger, Exxon shares subsequently advanced 23 percent through Oct. 16, 2000, outpacing a 17-percent average advance for the major oils and a 17-percent advance for the S&P 500. |