ExxonMobil in Norway. Esso Norge AS An ExxonMobil Subsidiary. Forus Grensev. 6 P.O. Box 60 N-4064 Stavanger Tel.:

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1 JULY 2010 Forus Grensev. 6 P.O. Box 60 N-4064 Stavanger Tel.: Esso Norge AS An ExxonMobil Subsidiary Oslo Drammensv. 149 P.O. Box 350 Skøyen N-0212 Oslo Tel.: Slagen P.O. Box 2001 Postterminalen N-3103 Tønsberg Tel.: ExxonMobil in Norway

2 ExxonMobil in Norway ExxonMobil in Norway includes several companies i.a. Esso Norge AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, and ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc. all of which are affiliates of ExxonMobil Corporation in the USA. Esso Norge AS is operating the upstream and downstream activities in Norway. In this brochure we use the term ExxonMobil when referring to the companies activities in Norway. Exxon Mobil Corporation Exxon Mobil is one of the world s largest listed energy companies. Founded in 1882, it is also one of the oldest industrial corporations in the world. The Corporation employs around 80,700 people working in subsidiaries in over 200 countries. Turnover in 2009 reached 301,5 billion dollars. The company has its headquarters at Forus in Sandnes municipality, where all offshore exploration and production activities are coordinated. ExxonMobil s marketing activities are operated from the Skøyen office in Oslo, while the refinery is located at Slagentangen near Tønsberg. ExxonMobil is, after Statoil and Petoro, the largest oil and gas producer on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, holding ownership interests in more than 20 producing gas and oil fields. ExxonMobil operates the Balder, Jotun, Ringhorne, and Sigyn fields. Total production in 2009 reached around 411,000 oil equivalent (o.e.) barrels per day which corresponds to about 10% of the total Norwegian production, and 10% of ExxonMobil s production worldwide. The refinery at Slagentangen has a production capacity of 6 million tons of oil products per year, and its production is Investments (billion NOK) Oil and gas production in Norway (1000 barrels o.e. per day) based on crude oil from the North Sea. ExxonMobil has a market share of 18% of total sales of oil products in Norway. The company markets both Esso and Mobil branded products. The number of gas stations is 304. ExxonMobil is Norway s oldest energy company established in ) Key figures in million NOK Outline of profit Sales income incl. excise taxes Operating profit Financial items Pre-tax profits Profits of the year Outline of balance Fixed assets Current assets Equity Provisions for liabilities Long-term debt Short-term debt Other main figures Investments Ordinary depreciation Company capital (capital stock) Staff Average number of employees Wages and social costs Financially strong long-term perspective ExxonMobil s net income in 2009 reached 19.3 billion dollars, with a 16.3% return on capital employed, more than 50% higher than its closest competitor. The company s total gas and oil production was 3.9 million o.e. barrels per day. ExxonMobil s leading position in the energy market is based on its long term-outlook of worldwide economic growth and energy. The company is continually making large investments, independent of the ups and downs in the industry. ExxonMobil is to invest between $25 and $30 billion annually over the next 5 years. Investments of $28 billion are planned for Future energy outlook In concert with economic growth and expanding population, energy demand by 2030 is estimated to rise by 35% compared to year The major part of this energy demand will occur in non OECD countries, where energy growth is expected to increase by around 65%. Fossil fuels, i.e. oil, gas and coal, will through 2030 satisfy an estimated 80% of global energy demand. ExxonMobil, together with the rest of the petroleum industry, will therefore continue to be a major contributor to meeting the world s future energy demand. Development of new technologies To deal with future energy challenges, new energy efficient technology and innovative processes need to be developed. ExxonMobil employs more than 14,000 scientists and engineers, over 1,000 of them with Ph.D.s. Over the last five years, ExxonMobil Corporation has invested 3.7 billion dollars in research and development, which has yielded good results. Our research has given the company a competitive edge in business areas like exploration and production, project development, and in the refining and chemicals industry. Here are some examples: Advances in seismic imaging and use of EM s new high-performance computing system is enabling the development of leading-edge technology for physical imaging. New methods of satellite-image analysis has made it easier to map hydrocarbon reservoirs. In the downstream, new catalyst technology has created better processes and products in the refining, chemicals and lube oil businesses. A lithium-ion battery breakthrough that greatly improves the safety, power and reliability of larger batteries for hybrid vehicles, thereby helping promote their use to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. ExxonMobil takes the environmental challenge seriously ExxonMobil acknowledges that energy use, economic activity and environmental challenges are closely interlinked. Protecting the environment is therefore one of the corporation s most important goals. Since 2004 we have invested more than $1.5 billion in activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency. These measures reduced the emission of climate gases by 8 million tons in 2009, the equivalent of removing 1.7 million cars from U.S. roads. One our most important R&D projects, is the cooperation ExxonMobil entered in 2009 with the company Synthetic Genomics Inc., USA, regarding development of next generation biofuels from photosynthetic algae, being compatible with today s gasoline and diesel products. Among other advantages, readily available sunlight and carbon dioxide used to grow the photosynthetic algae could provide greenhouse gas mitigation benefits. Moreover, growing algae does not rely on fresh water and arable land otherwise used for food production. Fuels based on algae, could if the development work is successful, be an important contribution to the world transportation sector, and at the same time reduce emission of climate gases. For more information on ExxonMobil Corporation please visit ExxonMobil has entered cooperation with Synthetic Genomics Inc. regarding development of biofuels from photosynthetic algae Oil production Gas production 1) The main figures are a direct summation of items in the accounts of ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., and Esso Norge AS. Internal sales between the companies have been eliminated. Short term-liabilities and debt between the companies have been eliminated. 2 3

3 Exploration ExxonMobil has been an active player on the Norwegian exploration scene since 1965, when Esso Norge AS was awarded the first three exploration licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). ExxonMobil is actively exploring blocks in more frontier areas and around existing infrastructure in the North Sea and Haltenbanken. The company has, both as an operator and as a partner in OBO (Operated By Others) projects, made many oil and gas discoveries. The success is due to the application of state-of-the-art exploration technologies, a highly qualified and trained local staff, and access to ExxonMobil s technical expertise and resources globally. ExxonMobil has participated in around one third of the discoveries made on the Norwegian continental shelf during the last three years. Two of the most important discoveries were made at the Sleipner Vest and Oseberg fields. NPD has estimated the size of these two discoveries at million and million barrels of oil equivalent, respectively. Common for the new discoveries is their location near existing infrastructure. Early 2010, the company was awarded interest in four new licences in the 2009 APA Licensing Round. In May 2009, ExxonMobil was awarded 7 deepwater blocks in the 20th Licensing Round in the Norwegian Sea. ExxonMobil will continue to evaluate available acreage in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea. The company will continue the emphasis on co-existence with all industries through flawless implementation of our exploration programs, with zero harmful impact on the environment. The company s performance on the Norwegian Continental Shelf to date, coupled with its worldwide experience with environmentally sensitive areas, operating procedures and advanced technology, ensures that co-existence will continue into the future. New technology within seismic imaging has made it possible to make more accurate seismic maps. Technology The organization in Norway draws on ExxonMobil s technology, research efforts and experience gained worldwide. Examples we find in the use of 3-D seismic, sequence stratigraphy and reservoir modeling. In Norway, we i.a. participate in several environmental studies. One study, which is within dispersants strategy, is being performed together with Shell and the Climate and Pollution Agency. Another study is a technology program for development of oil recovery equipment in which we participate together with NOFO and a number of other companies and institutes. Norwegian research institutes are world leading in some areas. Our mother company ExxonMobil i.a. use Marintek in Trondheim to develop new LNG tanker technology. Exxon- Mobil has for many years participated in OG21 (Oil and Gas in the 21st Century), which is a major R & D initiative started by Norwegian authorities to develop new technology and new systems in support of continued production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. In this program ExxonMobil has a leading role within cost efficient drilling. One of the projects that ExxonMobil supports entails the development of a new drilling tool named Badger Explorer. This is a robot that doesn t need to be connected to a rig, having the potential to perform drilling operations far cheaper and more efficient than today s equipment. A prototype drilled a testhole in eastern Norway in April, The operation was successful and is said to represent a technological breakthrough for this tool. Badger Explorer is a new drilling tool under development which is designed to perform drilling operations without the need to be connected to a drilling rig. Production ExxonMobil s operated assets in the UK and Norway are operated as one business unit, North Sea Production (NSP), which operates from two locations, Stavanger and Aberdeen. NSP is responsible for operation of the Ringhorne, Balder, Jotun, and Sigyn fields in Norway, and the Beryl Area and the SAGE Gas Plant in the UK. Production own operated fields Jotun The Jotun field is developed with two installations; a wellhead/ drilling platform (Jotun B) which produces to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO, Jotun A). The field is located in the North Sea 200 km west of Stavanger. The average production rate in 2009 was oil equivalent barrels per day. Jotun production has been on decline over the last few years, thus resulting in spare production capacity. In order to utilize this capacity, Balder was connected to Jotun via a gas pipeline in 2003, while pipelines where installed between Ringhorne and Jotun in 2004, allowing parts of the Ringhorne field to produce to the Jotun FPSO in addition to Balder. In 2009, Ringhorne sent an average of barrels of oil per day to Jotun for final processing and storage prior to export. In addition, 15 million standard cubic feet per day (MCFD) of gas was exported to Jotun from Balder and Ringhorne for further gas export to Statpipe. ExxonMobil is the operator of Jotun and has 45% equity in the field. Other participants are Dana (45%), Det Norske (7%), and Petoro (3%). Balder The Balder field consists of a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) and several subsea production systems. It is located in the North Sea approximately 190 km northwest of Stavanger. In early 2003, the Ringhorne platform was tied back to the Balder FPSO for processing and export. In October 2003, Balder started gas export to Statpipe via the Jotun FPSO. Numerous upgrades to the Balder FPSO process and compression systems have been carried out during the last few years, resulting in significantly improved reliability. Ringhorne The Ringhorne field is located about 9 km north of the Balder FPSO and includes a platform with initial processing and water injection capabilities. Production is routed to the Balder and Jotun installations for final processing, storage and offloading. Production commenced in February Also in 2003, two new discoveries were made in the Ringhorne area. Ringhorne West commenced production in April 2004, within a year of discovery, while Ringhorne East started to produce in March In 2009, the Ringhorne field produced an average of barrels of oil per day. ExxonMobil is the operator and has 100% ownership in the Ringhorne fields, except for Ringhorne Øst where ExxonMobil s equity is 77.4%. The other Ringhorne Øst participants are Statoil (14.8%), and Petoro (7.8%). Sigyn The Sigyn field, which is located in the Sleipner area in the North Sea, started producing in The field consists of two gas/condensate producers and one oil producer that are connected to the Sleipner A platform via a subsea template. In 2009, the average production on Sigyn was 52 million standard cubic feet of gas per day and barrels of condensate per day. ExxonMobil is the operator with 40% ownership. The other participant is Statoil (60%). In 2009, the Balder FPSO processed barrels of oil per day, from the Balder field, and from Ringhorne. ExxonMobil is the operator and has 100% ownership in the Balder field. The rig Bredford Dolphin drilled two exploration wells in the Jotun area in Picture from the Jotun field. 4

4 Production cont. Production OBO fields Operated By Others In 2009, ExxonMobil s production from OBO fields was around 324,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. In total, the company has ownership interests in more than 20 producing fields on the Norwegian continental shelf, and furthermore the company participates in several, major development projects. ExxonMobil participated in 10 exploration/delineation wells in 2009, out of which 7 wells yielded discoveries. EM% Sleipner Area Sleipner West Sleipner East Volve PL 046/Gungne PL 029 (part of Dagny) Utsira Area Grane PL Oseberg/Fram Oseberg 4.70 Fram Tampen Area Statfjord Unit Statfjord North Statfjord East Sygna Snorre Unit PL 089 (Vigdis, Tordis) Mid-Norway Åsgard Unit 7.24 Mikkel Njord Kristin Ormen Lange 7.23 Tyrihans Trestakk Infrastructure Vestprosess Gassled 9.43 Oil Fields Gas Fields Oil Pipeline Gas Pipeline ExxonMobil Interest Other Licenses Km Miles Nigg Flotta Scotland Orkney Islands St. Fergus Cruden Bay Aberdeen Mossmorran Edinburgh Brent Strathspey Sullom Voe Shetland Islands Kingfisher Scott/Telford Goldeneye Penguins Beryl Area Maclure Snorre Vigdis/Tordis Statfjord Fram Oseberg Jotun Ringhorne Grane Balder Dagny Volve Sleipner Sigyn Ormen Lange Forties Nelson Mirren Phyllis/Barbara Marnock-Skua Cook Merganser Teal Gannets Heron Guillemot Madoes Bittern Starling Curlew Franklin Elgin Scoter Shearwater Langeled Zeepipe 1/ Franpipe Kristin Langeled Nyk Mongstad Sture Kollsnes Bergen Njord Aukra Kårstø Stavanger Europipe I Åsgard Tyrihans Mikkel Europipe II Trondheim Tjeldbergodden Norway MAP-NO-NA-IM-0234 Refining and logistics ExxonMobil s refinery at Slagentangen, Vestfold, inaugurated in 1961, is located in a sheltered environment at the Oslofjord. The refinery processes crude oil into fuels for sea, land and air transportation, as well as heating products. Annual production capacity is 6 million tons of crude oil per year, which represents more than half of Norway s total consumption of petroleum products. The refinery converts crude oil, mainly from the North Sea, into most qualities of engine fuels and fuel oils. The lightest are propane and butane, followed by petrol, aviation fuel, kerosene, diesel and light fuel oil. The heaviest product is heavy oil. The refinery at Slagentangen produces sulphur free diesel (less than 10 ppm sulphur), which is a prerequisite for modern, environmentally friendly cars with catalyst treatment of exhaust gases. In 2007, the refinery installed a plant for blending of biodiesel. It supplies diesel with up to 7% blending of a biocomponent based on rape oil. This blending percentage may be used by all diesel cars without causing any engine trouble or conflicting with guarantees given by the car manufacturers. Around 60% of the refinery production of petroleum products is exported, qualifying the refinery as one of the largest export companies of mainland Norway. All crude oil and around 90% of the total production is offloaded/ loaded at the jetty which can receive ships up to 250,000 ton deadweight. Annually, around 800 ships call on the port. The Slagentangen office also manages the Supply, Transportation and Distribution (STD) business i.e. ExxonMobil s trade of crude oil and petroleum products, both refinery production and production from the fields in the North Sea as well as the company s three main storage terminals located in Fredrikstad, Bergen and Trondheim. Marketing ExxonMobil markets products both under the Esso and Mobil brands through a chain of 304 petrol stations all over Norway, out of which 46 On-the-Run stations which are offering a broad assortment of merchandise. In 2007, the company introduced its first unmanned and automated stations under the name Esso Express. ExxonMobil s sales organization directly serves the Wholesale segment. The end user segment is partly based on sales directly to customers, and partly through Esso Energi AS and other dealers. All kinds of products are sold, but there is special focus on low sulphur and environmentally friendly heating products. The product Optiplus has been very well received in the private residential market. In the Marine segment, Exxon- Mobil is an active marketing company of low sulphur gas oil as well as heavy oil produced at our refinery at Slagentangen. ExxonMobil is also an active player in the lubes and special products markets. The most important product is an enhanced version of oil for cars, Mobil 1. In 2007, the company introduced its first Mobil Autocare centres for oil change and minor repairs at several of Esso s gasoline stations. There are now 18 such centres in Norway. ExxonMobil s overall market share for petroleum products is 18%.* * Based on data from Statistics Norway. The Sleipner field. The refinery at Slagentangen. Photo: Statoil 6 7

5 Safety, health, and environment Safety and health ExxonMobil in Norway is working to create an environment where people care about and help each other to achieve a common goal where Nobody Gets Hurt, where Everybody Stays Healthy and where we Protect Tomorrow, Today. We have established a basic principle in our activities all injuries and incidents are preventable, and the effect on the external environment must be minimized. In 2009 we had no serious incidents which resulted in lost time. We had, however, a few incidents which called for medical treatment and adaptation of work. We continue our goal-oriented efforts at reducing the number of incidents and injuries. ExxonMobil works systematically with reducing the probability of high potential incidents. During 2009, we implemented a system for report and analysis of Process/Safety incidents. By reporting minor leaks, activation of safety barriers, status of safety systems, and monitoring these indicators, we work systematically with reducing the risk of major incidents. Our Loss Prevention System (LPS) has been operational in our upstream activities since March The system is an important tool in the development of our safety culture. An important part of LPS is hazard identification and incident reporting. This gives a good basis for working proactively eliminating hazards, as well as changing behavior and ways of working. The focus areas for the safety work in 2009 have been mapping of hazards in connection with routine activities, which continue to result in incidents and injuries. Furthermore, efforts were made to improve the quality of observation of work operations, as well as increase focus on work planning and identification of hazardous situations prior to start-up of work activities. ExxonMobil has also established programs for continuous reduction of health exposures, including exposure to chemicals, noise, ergonomics and psycho-social impacts. In 2003, an extensive co-operation program started among employees at Slagen, the medical doctor, and psychologists in order to map and understand the psychological causes of incidents and dangerous actions. This program, which has been named A Safe Hand, was further developed in 2005 to comprise management training, and it was implemented within the Refining and Logistics function. Today A Safe Hand is an important and integrated part of our yearly training and dialogue both with our own employees and contractors. ExxonMobil employees in Norway have over many years achieved a low level of sick leave. In 2009, sickness absence was 3.6 percent, which is a bit lower than the previous year. Environment environmental management The petroleum activities both onshore and offshore must be undertaken within the framework of a sustainable development, and the environmental challenges must be solved in a manner that ensures coexistence with other interests. As an example, the consideration of the fisheries has been a central element in the planning and implementation of drilling operations. To meet these challenges, the environmental program of ExxonMobil in Norway is fully integrated into the planning process and execution of all activities. The environmental management system, which is aligned with the international standard ISO 14001, is designed to ensure systematic and continuous improvement within the environmental area. ExxonMobil s overall environmental objectives include: zero acute pollution maintain status of zero harmful discharges to sea reduce emissions to air minimize the amount of waste minimize the risk of undesirable environmental incidents more efficient use of energy. Activities and results Exploration & Production 2009 A series of measures have been continued to maintain discharges to sea at the ExxonMobil operated fields at a minimum level. Jotun and Ringhorne have been designed with solutions for discharging drilling waste through injection. Substituting environmentally harmful chemicals with more environmentally friendly alternatives, has also made it possible to further reduce environmental risks related to discharges to sea. Emissions to air, with focus on CO2, NOx, and volatile organic compounds (nmvoc), were kept at a stable level in From 2008, ExxonMobil has participated in CO2 quota trade, and quotas equal to our CO2 emissions in 2009 were bought. In June 2008, all of ExxonMobil s own operated licenses on the Norwegian shelf joined the Business Sector s NOx Fund. The objective is to reduce NOx emissions by 30,000 tons within 2010, which seems attainable for the industry. Companies joining this fund pay an amount of money equal to their own NOx emissions. Money paid to the fund will be used to implement the most cost-effective NOx reduction measures across all business sectors. ExxonMobil s co-operation with other operators to ensure efficient reduction of emissions to air of nmvoc in connection with offshore oil loading to shuttle tankers, have been continued in The nmvoc recovery facilities in connection with storage of oil on the Balder and Jotun production ships have had a close to 100% efficiency in In 2009, sorting and handling of waste was performed on all our offshore installations. On Balder 78% of all waste was sorted, while respectively 45% and 53% of all waste was sorted on Ringhorne and Jotun. During 2009, there were no permit overruns or breaches of regulations that called for notification of the authorities. Activities and results Refining 2009 Sulphur-free diesel The refinery delivers eco-diesel in all qualities, including almost sulphur free eco-diesel with less than percent sulphur content. Environmental performance The refinery unfortunately had three discharges of oil to the ground in 2009, which were immediately reported to the authorities. The environmental consequences of these discharges are considered low as all oil was recovered and the polluted substances removed. All other discharges to water and air were within the limits determined by the Climate and Pollution Agency. The yearly report on the environment and social responsibility gives details on emissions and the environmental work at the refinery. Inspection and rehabilitation of pipe systems on quay and tank park A comprehensive work program including risk assessment, inspection and rehabilitation of the pipe systems has been ongoing since The cost of the program is estimated at more than NOK 75 million. Energy and climate gases International comparisons show that the ExxonMobil refinery at Slagentangen is one of the most efficient refineries in the world in terms of efficient use of energy. Since the early 1990s, the refinery has implemented internal measures to save energy, and the use of energy today is 25% more efficient than it was in The reason why CO2 emissions nevertheless have increased during this period, is mainly due to new environmental requirements to products, i.a. increased desulphurization. Furthermore, the refinery has increased its processing capacity for crude oil. If you wish to get more information about environmentally related activities in Norway, go to our website You may also contact the Slagen refinery and ask for the report Miljø og Samfunnsansvar statusrapport for ExxonMobilraffineriet på Slagentangen 2008/2009. The report includes discharge figures and more information on some of the plans for cutting emissions at the refinery. 8 9

6 ExxonMobil s contribution to society Fredrik Sønstabø (middle) from ExxonMobil awarded prizes for the best doctoral theses to Jianying He and Jakob Linder. Each year the company contributes to the society in many ways. ExxonMobil contributes through investments, creation of jobs, transfer of knowledge, and by providing development opportunites for local companies. Furthermore, we pay taxes and contribute directly to local communities through support of sports activities, culture, education and social activities. Below is a description of some activities that have received our support recently: Education Cooperation with Junior Achievement Young Enterprise on math and science As part of ExxonMobil s global initiative to promote education, the company has cooperated with the organization Junior Achievement Young Enterprise to develop a pan-european program to motivate upper secondary school pupils to choose an education with scientific subjects. The aim is to increase the awareness around the importance of mathematics, science and technological skills in our society. Norway was selected as one of three European countries to be involved in this project the first year. Cooperation on education on G&G subjects ExxonMobil has cooperated with St. Olav upper secondary school in Stavanger on G&G subjects. Geologists from our company have contributed to making an education toolkit, which i.a. is based on real data from our Jotun field. The pupils worked on geology project assignments which were presented to professional G&G people in ExxonMobil. The best assignments got a prize. Science Center in Sandnes A new national Science Center was opened in May 2008 in Sandnes municipality, where ExxonMobil has its main office in Norway. Science centers are popular science and adventure centers which are especially aimed at stimulating children s and youth s interest in technology and popular science, as well as communicating research and knowledge in active and engaging ways. ExxonMobil has donated several interactive and instructive games and is also contributing with yearly economical support to the Science Center and to the Oil Museum in Stavanger. The Monster Diggers ExxonMobil has been a main sponsor for the Monster Diggers over the last four years. The project is headed by the Natural History Museum, the University of Oslo. The main aim of the project has been excavation of fossil skeletons found at Svalbard, i.a. one of the world s largest marine predators ever the Pliosaur. This monster, which lived in the Jurassic age about 150 million years ago, was 15 meters long. The skeleton has been transported from Svalbard to Oslo, and is now being restored to give us a new understanding of these large monsters. Sports and culture ExxonMobil supports both small and large projects within sports and cuture locally and nationally. The company emphasizes not just sponsoring the elite/top performers, but amateurs as well. Title sponsor of Exxon Mobil Bislett Games In 2010, it is the 23rd time that the company is title sponsor for the ExxonMobil Bislett Games. This international track and field meeting, which is a part of the new Diamond League concept, is contributing to putting Norway on the international track and field map, and also to stimulating the Norwegian interest in athletics. In addition to supporting the meeting economically, the arrangement is used to focus on malaria. ExxonMobil is on a worldwide basis the largest non-pharmaceutical contributor. Main sponsor for the athletics in Sandnes and Skjalg Athletic Clubs To support the recruiting of athletes locally, the company has for several years chosen to be the main sponsor for both Skjalg Track and Field Club in Stavanger, and Sandnes Athletic Club, where the main focus is work with young athletes. In addition, ExxonMobil is in 2010 the main sponsor of the Norwegian track and field championship hosted by Sandnes IL. Tour partner of the Stavanger Tourist Association ExxonMobil is a partner/supporter of the Stavanger Tourist Association. The company has a tour partner agreement with the association, which means that the company s employees and their families are offered activities within outdoor life to increase their well-being and strengthen their health. Stavanger Tourist Association is Rogaland s largest outdoor organization, and it has more than 18,000 members. Moldejazz The jazz festival in Molde is the most prestigious of the Norwegian jazz festivals, celebrating its 50 Years Anniversary in ExxonMobil has for 27 years been one of its main sponsors. In addition to the sponsor support, the company also contributes with a yearly economical support to the new jazz and theatre house in Molde which is scheduled to be completed in Stavanger Cathedral Choirs The choir and concert activities in Stavanger Cathedral have long traditions, and they are an important part of the cathedral s activities and the city s cultural life. ExxonMobil supports the seven choirs of the cathedral. The goal is to create church music of high quality that enriches both the services and gives good concert experiences. New concert hall in Stavanger In 2005, ExxonMobil entered into a cooperation agreement with the Municipality of Stavanger to be one of the main sponsors of the new Stavanger concert hall for the region. The new concert hall will be an arena of international standard, offering a broad scope of entertainment to a wide audience. The construction of the concert hall started in December 2008, and completion is estimated by the end of Flower bulbs to Sandnes Municipality ExxonMobil supports our host municipality, Sandnes, in many ways. We contribute i.a. to initiatives and projects, including the cultural centre, and we have also helped making the city visible. In 2009, our contribution made it possible to plant 160,000 flower bulbs in Sandnes. Since 2006, a total of 784,000 flower bulbs have been planted i.a. due to our support. Planting flowers may not seem to be a big deal, but the municipal flowers are highly appreciated by the local community. The sailing ship Berntine Berntine is the oldest polar vessel which is under sail in Norway today, and the Central Office of Historic Monuments has declared the vessel to be of historical value. The reason why ExxonMobil has supported the reconstruction of Berntine, is the fact that we consider it important that as many people as possible may experience how it is to be onboard a genuine sailing vessel from the last century, and it is important to take care of our traditions. Higher education Doctorates NTNU ExxonMobil has over many years awarded prizes for the best doctoral theses at NTNU, both within basic and applied research. Photo: Thor Nielsen/NTNU info 10 11