The co-director -- the former EPA administrator under George Bush is on leave from the board of Conoco-Phillips.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

We've already had Chevron, Conoco-Phillips, Marathon, and Amerada-Hess all reporting big profit increases.

NPR: The Marketplace Report: Oil Giants Look to Shield Profits

So it makes it harder for Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Conoco-Phillips and so on to cut deals and to find new sources of production.

NPR: What Record Profits Mean for Exxon Mobil