The Irving, Texas oil big (XOM  64.46, -0.33, -0.51%)  said it benefitted from higher crude oil costs and stronger chemical margins, whereas its downstream enterprise remained weak. Exxon Mobil’s earnings for the three months ended March 30 increased to $6.3 billion, or $1.33 a share, from $4.55 billion, or 92 cents a share, in the year-ago period. The earnings embrace a charge of 4 cents a share associated to health care legislation. The corporate mentioned its income climbed to $90.3 billion, from $64 billion.

Wall Avenue analysts anticipated earnings of $1.39 a share and revenue of $96.2 billion, in response to a survey by FactSet Research.

Capital and exploration spending rose 19% to $6.9 billion.

Upstream earnings rose $2.3 billion to $5.8 billion. Downstream earnings fell $1.1 billion to $37 million, on lower refining margins.

Shares of Exxon Mobil fell 0.4% to $68.89.

In a few of its main strikes during the quarter, Exxon’s Ras Laffan 3 LNG Prepare 7 commenced operations within the first quarter. The undertaking marks the fourth 7.8 million tons per 12 months LNG plant introduced on line by Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil joint ventures throughout the previous 12 months.

ExxonMobil Iraq Limited signed an agreement with the Iraq Ministry of Oil to redevelop and expand the West Qurna-1 subject in southern Iraq.

Liquids manufacturing totaled 2.41 million barrels of oil a day, down 62,000 barrels of oil. Excluding the impacts of entitlement volumes, OPEC quota results and divestments, liquids manufacturing was down 1%, as elevated production from initiatives in Qatar and Kazakhstan was offset by subject decline.

The company’s U.S. Downstream recorded a loss of $60 million, down $412 million from the first quarter of 2009. Non-U.S. Downstream earnings of $97 million had been $684 million lower. Chemical earnings of $1.25 billion rose by $899 million.