Marathon Oil (MRO)

Election of Directors

As approved by the stockholders at our annual meeting on April 26, 2006, Marathon’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation was amended to declassify our Board over a three year period. With respect to the election of directors, our Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that at the 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, the successors of the directors whose terms expire at that meeting shall be elected for a term expiring at the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders. At the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders, the successors of the directors whose terms expire at that meeting shall be elected for a term expiring at the 2009 annual meeting of stockholders. And at each annual meeting of stockholders thereafter, the directors shall be elected for terms expiring at the next succeeding annual meeting of stockholders. Accordingly, we have four nominees for director whose terms expire in 2007. In addition, Mr. John W. Snow is a nominee for director due to his recent appointment to the Board.

Our by-laws require the Board to fix the number of directors, and under our Corporate Governance Principles, the Board is charged with endeavoring to maintain between ten and fourteen members. The director nominees for election are for a one-year term expiring at the 2008 annual meeting. All directors have previously been elected by the stockholders, except for Mr. Snow, who became a member of the Board in September 2006. Of the twelve current directors, one is an officer of Marathon, eight have top executive experience with a wide variety of businesses, one has a distinguished career in academia, business and government, one has a distinguished career as an international business leader and diplomat, one has a distinguished career with the military and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and one served as Secretary of the Treasury. A brief statement about the background of each nominee and each continuing director is given on the following pages. If any nominee for whom you have voted becomes unable to serve, your proxy may be voted for another person designated by the Board.

Our by-laws describe the procedures that must be used in order for someone nominated by a stockholder of record to be eligible for election as a director. They require that notice be received by the Secretary at least 45 days, but not more than 75 days, before the first anniversary of the date on which we first mailed our proxy materials for the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders. The notice must contain certain information about the nominee, including his or her age, address, occupation and share ownership, as well as the name, address and share ownership of the stockholder giving the notice.

As explained earlier in the question and answer section of this proxy statement, directors are elected by a majority of votes cast. For a director to be elected, this means that the number of shares voted “for” a director must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that director.  Abstentions will not be taken into account in director elections. Under our by-laws, if an incumbent director who is nominated for re-election to the Board does not receive sufficient votes to be elected, the director is required to promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board. Our Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee will make a recommendation to the Board as to whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation, or whether other action should be taken. The Board will act on the tendered resignation, taking into account the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s recommendation, and publicly disclose its decision regarding the tendered resignation within 90 days from the date of the certification of the election results. In the event of a vacancy, the Board may fill the position or decrease the size of the Board.

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