Corner stores in the state's oil patch may languish, but in the office towers of Houston and Dallas, leaders of the multinational energy industry have never felt more robust.
Profits are through the roof.
For the first time since Exxon topped the Fortune 500 list of major corporations in 1984, big oil is back on top. Exxon Mobil leads the list. From its headquarters in Irving, Exxon Mobil is enjoying a spike in profits that set an all-time business world record. And the giant doesn't stand alone. One of Exxon Mobil's profit secrets, according to Fortune, is how cheaply it finds oil and gas.