Nigeria, Norway, the Partitioned Neutral Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the Philippines, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela and Vietnam.

     Current and future earnings of the company depend largely on the profitability of its upstream (exploration and production) and downstream (refining, marketing and transportation) business segments. The single biggest factor that affects the results of operations for both segments is movement in the price of crude oil. In the downstream business, crude oil is the largest cost component of refined products.

The overall trend in earnings is typically less affected by results from the company’s chemicals business and other activities and investments. Earnings for the company in any period may also be influenced by events or transactions that are infrequent and/or unusual in nature.

     Chevron and the oil and gas industry at large continue to experience an increase in certain costs that exceeds the general trend of inflation in many areas of the world. This increase in costs is affecting the company’s operating expenses and capital expenditures, particularly for the upstream business. The company’s operations, especially upstream, can also be affected by changing economic, regulatory and political environments in the various countries in which it operates, including the United States. Civil unrest, acts of violence or strained relations between a government and the company or other governments may impact the company’s operations or investments. Those developments have at times significantly affected the company’s operations and results and are carefully considered by management when evaluating the level of current and future activity in such countries.

     To sustain its long-term competitive position in the upstream business, the company must develop and replenish an inventory of projects that offer adequate financial returns for the investment required. Identifying promising areas for exploration, acquiring the necessary rights to explore for and to produce crude oil and natural gas, drilling successfully, and handling the many technical and operational details in a safe and cost-effective manner are all important factors in this effort. Projects often require long lead times and large capital commitments. In the current environment of higher commodity prices, certain governments have sought to renegotiate contracts or impose additional costs on the company. Other governments may attempt to do so in the future. The company will continue to monitor these developments, take them into account in evaluating future investment opportunities, and otherwise seek to mitigate any risks to the company’s current operations or future prospects.

     The company also 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 growth. Asset sales during 2007 included the company’s 31 percent ownership interest in a refinery and related