The tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the
Gulf of
Mexico
could give Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) the opportunity to become the
operator on many of its offshore joint venture projects on advantageous terms
that will add value to the company through larger equity stakes in exchange for
handling operations, says Fadel Gheit, analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. The oil
giant will benefit thanks to "its best-in-class" safety culture, he
adds. Exxon's
shares were 31 cents up to $59.25.