The group booked a net income of $US2.83 billion, compared to $2.21b the previous year.

In turn, analysts are now expecting a higher profit announcement from ExxonMobil which is the world's largest publicly traded oil company.

The Iraq war and civil unrest in Venezuela and Nigeria have all contributed to an oil price which is an average of 10% higher than it was last year.

The company said it would not be repeating its share buyback of last year, disappointing some investors.