New York, Feb 18, 2026, 18:08 ET — After-hours
- Exxon Mobil finished the day up 3.07% at $150.68, outpacing both Chevron and ConocoPhillips.
- Crude jumped over 4% at the close, with worries about supply disruptions pushing prices up.
- Thursday brings U.S. inventory numbers, with traders also parsing signals on project timelines.
Exxon Mobil (XOM) finished Wednesday at $150.68, up 3.07%. That move put it ahead of Chevron and ConocoPhillips as U.S. equities advanced. Trading volume came in around 19.8 million shares, nudging past the 50-day average, according to MarketWatch data. 1
Energy names are back in focus, and traders are tying Exxon to every crude price swing. The company’s major growth projects? Staying on schedule is key, but investors haven’t forgotten past delays.
Oil prices surged on the day, with Brent finishing $2.93 higher, up 4.35%, closing at $70.35 a barrel. U.S. WTI tacked on $2.86, or 4.59%, to settle at $65.19. Supply jitters—spurred by U.S.-Iran friction and the lack of progress in Russia-Ukraine negotiations—fueled the move. “The oil market is pricing in additional risk of a supply disruption,” said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. Traders are now eyeing U.S. government inventory numbers expected Thursday. 2
There was fresh company news as well. Golden Pass—the LNG export project co-owned by Exxon and QatarEnergy—drew in roughly 300 million cubic feet of gas on Wednesday, LSEG data showed, signaling it’s edging closer to its initial LNG output. Exxon CEO Darren Woods said, “first LNG produced in very early March” is expected, while an Exxon spokesperson added the firm “continues to support the Golden Pass venture” as it aims for startup. 3
Exxon Guyana President Alistair Routledge told an energy conference the Uaru and Whiptail projects are running faster than planned and coming in under budget. Uaru, set to begin producing this year, and Whiptail, targeted for 2027, will each have capacity for 250,000 barrels per day (bpd). With Uaru coming online, Guyana’s production is projected to hit roughly 1.15 million bpd; Whiptail would push that figure to 1.4 million, according to Reuters. 4
Exxon Upstream President Dan Ammann said Tuesday the company’s pipeline is set to supply gas to Guyana, but future demand relies on the government pushing forward with power plant and industrial development. “There’s a lot of responsibility on the government to help build that industry,” Ammann told reporters. Parts of the Stabroek Block are still affected by force majeure due to a border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela — a clause that suspends contract obligations. 5
Exxon has also put in a shelf registration on Form S-3 for debt securities, a standard move giving it flexibility to issue bonds down the line without locking in terms right away. According to the filing, funds raised would go toward general corporate purposes unless a later prospectus supplement says differently. 6
The setup isn’t one-sided. Oil’s war-driven premium can vanish fast if diplomatic winds change or supply doesn’t crack, while legal and regulatory surprises still rattle the scene. Mobil Oil Australia—part of Exxon—was hit with an A$16 million fine by an Australian federal court after conceding it misled customers about fuel at Queensland outlets. Mobil told Reuters it has either pulled or covered the claims and admitted to mistakes. 7
Traders now turn their focus to Thursday’s U.S. inventory report, scanning for fresh geopolitical headlines to guide them into the next session.
