Exxon's spending on new oil and gas projects bounced back last year to $22.7 billion, up 37% from the prior year. The company increased outlays on discoveries in Guyana, in the top U.S. shale field, and on fuel refining and chemicals.

Exxon posted $12.8 billion in fourth-quarter net profit excluding charges, 44% more than the same period last year but down 35% from the previous quarter as oil prices eased and some operations suffered from cold-weather-related outages.

A vehicle passes an Exxon Mobil Corp. gas station in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Exxon Mobil posted a $56 billion profit for 2022, the company said on Tuesday, taking home about $6.3 million per hour last year, and setting not only a company record but a historic high for the Western oil industry.

Exxon's results far exceeded the then-record $45.2 billion net profit it reported in 2008, when oil hit $142 per barrel, 30% above last year's average price. Deep cost cuts during the pandemic helped supercharge last year's earnings.