Rocketing oil prices are driving the nation's big oil companies to record profits, but even among this powerful group, one stands out: ExxonMobil.
No company seems clearer about itself and its mission. Exxon uses its financial might to invest heavily in applications that give it an edge in finding increasingly harder-to-reach oil and gas deposits.
At the same time, it also ensures its technology is tightly aligned with its two primary goals: finding more oil and gas, and generating more profits from operations.
Here's the story of how this well-oiled machine consistently outperforms its peers.
Story Guide:
Straight shooter: CEO Rex Tillerson Doesn't Play Games
Big Oil's Big Challenge
R&D Like Launching a 'Moon Shot' Every Decade
Exxon's Balanced Methodology
Virtual Drilling: Exxon's Technology Edge
Business Intelligence Guides Exploitation of Oil Resources
Oil in the DNA: The Exxon Culture
ExxonMobil Base Case
The Technology of Oil Exploration
Context:
How Big Oil Uses XML
Roadblock: Getting Oil Business Managers on Board
Gotcha: Don't Let Grid Computing Trip You
Vendor Profile: A Look at IBM's Supercomputers and the Oil Business
In the News:
Big Oil Versus Microsoft
Microsoft has long held the crown as the technology world's biggest generator of cash. But as Americans empty their wallets at the pumps on $3-plus per gallon of gas, a new cash king is emerging: ExxonMobil.
Projects: Enterprise Planning 
