Exxon Mobil Corp. ’s second-quarter refining earnings surged by as much as $5.5 billion, signaling a season of windfall profits for the fuel-making sector as consumers bear the burden of near-record gasoline prices. Widening refining margins added as much as $4.6 billion during the quarter while the value of unsettled derivatives provided up to $900 million more, the Irving, Texas-based company said in a regulatory filing on Friday. Meanwhile, surging oil and natural gas prices boosted results by as much as $3.3 billion. Sky-high pump prices are intensifying broader inflationary trends and increasing pressure on political leaders to shield consumers through giveaways such as suspending fuel taxes. US President Joe Biden singled out Exxon’s profits for criticism last month, accusing the company of making “more money than God” at a time when consumers were suffering. Exxon’s bumper profits “are largely a result of underinvestment by many in the energy […]