XOM · Earnings call · 2026Q3T · Full report

Permian Production Technology

ExxonMobil Holdings Corp · 2026-10-30 · Importance 34 · Surprise 42 · In source text

ExxonMobil said it is the only operator currently using automated drilling rigs in the Permian, with three rigs in operation and plans to expand their use to about 25% of its Permian fleet next year and approximately half by 2028. Management said the rigs are improving safety and delivering some of the strongest drilling performance in the company’s fleet. Woods described continued efforts to deploy new technology and improve recovery, including integrating secondary recovery considerations into primary development plans. He said secondary recovery is expected to contribute more materially beyond 2030, while early technology benefits are still developing across the large Permian portfolio.

Key facts

• ExxonMobil expects automated drilling rigs to cover about 25% of its Permian fleet next year and approximately half by 2028.
• ExxonMobil is working toward doubling recovery in the Permian and says it has a line of sight to that objective.
• ExxonMobil is the only Permian operator currently using automated drilling rigs and has three in operation.
• ExxonMobil expects secondary recovery to contribute more materially to Permian resource recovery beyond 2030 than in the early years, which are focused on primary recovery.
• ExxonMobil developed a cost-effective lightweight proppant by applying refining technologists’ understanding of coke morphology to an upstream challenge.
• ExxonMobil's Permian production has made good, steady progress and reached its year-end number ahead of schedule.

Impact estimates