is a global energy company with substantial business activities in the following countries: Angola, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, the Partitioned Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the Philippines, Republic of Congo, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela.

Earnings of the company depend mostly on the profitability of its upstream business segment. The most significant factor affecting the results of operations for the upstream segment is the price of crude oil, which is determined in global markets outside of the company’s control. In the company's downstream business, crude oil is the largest cost component of refined products. It is the company's objective to deliver competitive results and stockholder value in any business environment. Periods of sustained lower prices could result in the impairment or write-off of specific assets in future periods and cause the company to adjust operating expenses and capital and exploratory expenditures, along with other measures intended to improve financial performance.

The effective tax rate for the company can change substantially during periods of significant earnings volatility. This is due to the mix effects that are impacted both by the absolute level of earnings or losses and whether they arise in higher or lower tax rate jurisdictions. As a result, a decline or increase in the effective income tax rate in one period may not be indicative of expected results in future periods. Note 16 provides the company’s effective income tax rate for the last three years.

Refer to the "Cautionary Statement Relevant to Forward-Looking Information" on page 2 and to "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A, on pages 18 through 21 for a discussion of some of the inherent risks that could materially impact the company's results of operations or financial condition.

The company continually evaluates opportunities to dispose of assets that are not expected to provide sufficient long-term value or to acquire assets or operations complementary to its asset base to help augment the company’s financial performance and value growth. Asset dispositions and restructurings may result in significant gains or losses in future periods. The company's asset sale program for 2018 through 2020 is targeting before-tax proceeds of $5-10 billion. Proceeds related to asset sales were $2.0 billion in 2018.

The company closely monitors developments in the financial and credit markets, the level of worldwide economic activity, and the implications for the company of movements in prices for crude oil and natural gas. Management takes these developments into account in the conduct of daily operations and for business planning.

Comments related to earnings trends for the company’s major business areas are as follows:

Upstream Earnings for the upstream segment are closely aligned with industry prices for crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil and natural gas prices are subject to external factors over which the company has no control, including product demand connected with global economic