Profit Motive De-Motivator

Meanwhile significantly higher oil prices (roughly $90 a barrel) in 4Q 2010 compared to 4Q 2009 means energy company profit margins are also significantly higher.

Exxon Mobil Corp reported a better-than-expected 53 percent increase in quarterly profit as an improving world economy sparked higher demand for fuel and chemicals as crude oil prices rose.

It reported a fourth-quarter profit of $9.25 billion, or $1.85 per share, compared with $6.05 billion, or $1.27 per share in the same quarter a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.63 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Oil-equivalent production rose 19 percent from the year-ago quarter, lifted by liquefied natural gas operations in Qatar, the Irving Texas company said on Monday.

Big money in big oil, and increasingly bigger money in natural gas.  If you think companies like this are looking at Tunisia and Egypt and Yemen and are seeing nothing but larger and larger dollar signs, you're right on the money.   If anything happens to the Suez Canal in Egypt, well...let's just say energy companies aren't going to be hurting.