Energy and environment

Sustainable water solutions

Like all energy producers, ExxonMobil uses water in its operations and is dedicated to safe and environmentally responsible policies and practices.

Global water supply

The intersection between water and energy — now and in the future

When taken in total, the volume of fresh water on earth is enough to support the world’s population. But according to the United Nations, while “there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water.”

Worldwide, the oil and gas industry uses far less water than agriculture or power generation, though it can be a significant user of water at the local level. Regardless of quantity, the oil and gas industry has an important role to play in protecting the quality of water in the areas where it operates.

Freshwater management in Benelux

250 gallons of water

needed per person per day to generate the electricity used in U.S. homes — over twice the amount of water that person consumes daily

Physical economic water scarcity

Image Physical economic water scarcity
Spill performance

Spill performance

ExxonMobil limits spills from our operations by maintaining a strong focus on risk management, operations integrity and containment capabilities. We take a rigorous approach to managing the potential impacts of a spill on water or land.
Treating spills with dispersants allows microbes to naturally break down crude oil

Treating spills with dispersants allows microbes to naturally break down crude oil

All marine environments contain naturally occurring microbes that feed on and break down crude oil. This means crude oil is largely biodegradable.