Thursday April 26 2:48 PM ET
Exxon Mobil: No Threat in Call for Boycott

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A spreading cyber-campaign calling for a boycott of Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM - news) gasoline stations this summer in reaction to rising prices is unlikely to hurt sales or bring any relief at U.S. pumps, the oil company said Thursday.

``We don't expect a significant impact,'' said Exxon Mobil spokeswoman Lauren Kerr. ``If anything, those who participate in a boycott will be hurting their neighbors, since the vast majority of our stations are independently run.''

Seething over rising gasoline prices, which have surged more than 20 cents a gallon in the past four weeks to roughly $1.63 a gallon due to low supplies, the nation's drivers are venting their frustrations in cyberspace.

In one of dozens of boycott emails landing in computers from Portland, Maine to San Diego, California the author writes ''I read in the paper yesterday that EXXON posted profits of 12 MILLION dollars this past Quarter!!!! They STOLE that money from us poor suckers just as if they had held us up at gunpoint and ROBBED us!!!!!''

The email concludes that ``for the rest of this year, don't purchase gasoline from Exxon Mobil. If they are not selling, they should be inclined to reduce their prices -- and if they reduce their prices the other companies will too.''

The protest echoes an effort last year by Internet-rebels who called for a one-day boycott of all U.S. gasoline stations.

But like last year's effort, this year's will most likely fail to soften the hard-hitting prices at the nation's pumps. The high gasoline prices are the result of low national inventories and continued high prices for crude oil -- not predatory pricing by oil companies, economists say.

``The underlying problem is that inventories of gasoline are much lower than last year,'' said analyst Tim Evans of IFR-Pegasus. ``Plus driver demand still appears strong.''

The chances of a successful boycott are slim, analysts added, since drivers generally won't go out of their way to avoid particular brands, especially if they are conveniently located.

And even a successful boycott of Exxon Mobil branded gasoline stations could backfire, by straining inventories carried by other companies and forcing them to lift their own prices.

``We sometimes see efforts like this come up when prices are high,'' said Kerr. ``Our customers have the option to buy their gasoline from wherever they choose. Our responsibility is to make it available to them and have competitive pricing.''

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