Exxon Guyana Slap at Chevron Highlights Supply Security Importance

When Chevron announced it had struck a deal to acquire Hess Corp. for $53 billion last year, it was seen as yet another move by a supermajor to secure future oil supply at reasonable production cost. Just how important securing this supply is not only for Chevron but for its peers became clear last week, when Exxon surprised many with the warning that it could make the deal meaningless by exercising a right of first refusal stipulation in its Guyana partnership with Hess Corp. Without Guyana, Chevron has signaled, there would be little…