Edgar Filing: MARATHON OIL CORP

Preliminary Proxy Statement

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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Marathon Oil Corporation

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Notice of Annual Meeting

of Stockholders and Proxy Statement

2011

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

10:00 a.m. Central Time

Conference Center Auditorium

Marathon Oil Tower

5555 San Felipe Road

Houston, Texas 77056

Please vote promptly either by:

u telephone,

u the Internet, or

u marking, signing and returning your proxy or voting instruction card.

Marathon Oil Corporation

5555 San Felipe Road

Houston, TX 77056

Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

March [ ], 2011

Dear Marathon Stockholder,

On behalf of your Board of Directors and management, you are cordially invited to attend our 2011 annual meeting of stockholders to be held in the Conference Center Auditorium of the Marathon Oil Tower, 5555 San Felipe Road, Houston, Texas, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time.

We are pleased to continue taking advantage of the Securities and Exchange Commission rules allowing issuers to furnish proxy materials over the Internet. Please read the proxy statement for more information on this alternative, which allows us to provide our stockholders with the information they need, while lowering the costs of delivery and reducing the environmental impact of our annual meeting. On March [ ], 2011, we plan to commence mailing to our U.S. stockholders a Notice containing instructions on how to access our 2011 Proxy Statement and 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K and vote online. In addition, instructions on how to request a printed copy of these materials may also be found on the Notice. All other stockholders will continue to receive copies of the proxy statement and annual report by mail. The matters to be voted on at the meeting can be found in the 2011 Proxy Statement.

Your vote is important. We hope you will vote either by telephone, over the Internet or by marking, signing and returning your proxy or voting instruction card as soon as possible, whether or not you plan to attend the meeting.

Sincerely,


Table of Contents

Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders			4

Proxy Statement			5

Questions and Answers			5

The Board of Directors and Governance Matters			8

Compensation of Directors			17

Proposals of the Board

Proposal No. 1 Election of Directors			19
Nominees for Director			20
Proposal No. 2 Ratification of Independent Auditor for 2011			27

Proposal No. 3 Special Stockholder Meetings			28

Proposal No. 4 Say on Executive Pay			30

Proposal No. 5 Frequency of Say on Executive Pay			31

Proposals of Stockholders

Proposal No. 6 Safety Report			32

Audit and Finance Committee Report			35

Information Regarding the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Fees, Services and Independence			36

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners			37

Security Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers			38

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance			40

Compensation Committee Report			41

Compensation Discussion and Analysis			42

Executive Compensation Tables and Other Information			58

Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions			75

Compensation Policies and Practices for Employees			77

Statement Regarding the Delivery of a Single Set of Proxy Materials to Households with Multiple Marathon Stockholders			77

Solicitation Statement			77

APPENDIX I	–	Audit and Finance Committee Charter

APPENDIX II	–	Audit and Finance Committee Policy For Pre-Approval of Audit, Audit-Related, Tax and Permissible Non-Audit Services

APPENDIX III	–	Proposed By-Law Amendment for Special Stockholder Meetings


		Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders on April 27, 2011 We will hold our 2011 annual meeting of stockholders in the Conference Center Auditorium of the Marathon Oil Tower, 5555 San Felipe Road, Houston, Texas 77056 on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, in order to:

		•		elect thirteen directors;

		•		ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent auditor for 2011;

		•		consider a Board proposal to amend our by-laws to lower the threshold for stockholders to call special meetings;

		•		consider a Board proposal for a non-binding advisory vote on our executive compensation;

		•		consider a Board proposal to select the desired frequency of non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation;

		•		consider a stockholder proposal seeking a safety report outlining the Company’s steps to reduce the risk of accidents; and

		•		transact any other business that properly comes before the meeting.
		You are entitled to vote at the meeting if you were an owner of record of Marathon Oil Corporation common stock at the close of business on February 28, 2011. If your ownership is through a broker or other intermediary, you will need to have proof of your stockholdings in order to be admitted to the meeting. A recent account statement, letter or proxy from your broker or other intermediary will suffice. Marathon is taking advantage of the Securities and Exchange Commission rules which allow issuers to furnish proxy materials to their stockholders over the Internet. We believe these rules allow us to provide our stockholders with the information they need, while lowering the costs of delivery and reducing the environmental impact of our annual meeting. If you received a printed copy of the materials, we have enclosed a copy of the Company’s 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K to stockholders with this notice and proxy statement. By order of the Board of Directors, Sylvia J. Kerrigan Secretary Dated: March [ ], 2011 Marathon Oil Corporation 5555 San Felipe Road Houston, TX 77056

Proxy Statement

We have sent you this proxy statement because the Board of Directors is asking you to give your proxy (that is, the authority to vote your shares) to our proxy committee so they may vote your shares on your behalf at our annual meeting of stockholders. The members of the proxy committee are Thomas J. Usher, Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr. and Janet F. Clark.

We will hold the meeting on April 27, 2011 in the Conference Center Auditorium of the Marathon Oil Tower, 5555 San Felipe Road, Houston, Texas. The proxy statement contains information about the matters being voted on and other information that may be helpful to you.

We began the mailing of the Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials, the 2011 Proxy Statement, the proxy card, and the Letter to Stockholders and 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K on or about March [ ], 2011.

Questions and Answers

¢ Who may vote?

You may vote if you were a holder of Marathon Oil Corporation (“Marathon” or the “Company”) common stock at the close of business on February 28, 2011, which is the record date of the meeting. Each share of common stock entitles its holder to one vote on each matter to be voted on at the meeting.

¢ What may I vote on?

You may vote on:

• the election of thirteen nominees to serve as directors;

• the ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent auditor for 2011;

• a Board proposal to amend our by-laws to lower the threshold for stockholders to call special meetings;

• a Board proposal for a non-binding advisory vote on our executive compensation;

• a Board proposal to select the desired frequency of non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation; and

• a stockholder proposal seeking a safety report outlining the Company’s steps to reduce the risk of accidents.

¢ How does the Board recommend I vote?

The Board recommends that you vote:

• FOR each of the nominees for director;

• FOR the ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent auditor for 2011;

• FOR the Board proposal to amend our by-laws to lower the threshold for stockholders to call special meetings;

• FOR the Board proposal for a non-binding advisory vote on our executive compensation;

• EVERY YEAR (1) on the Board proposal to select the desired frequency of non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation; and

• AGAINST the stockholder proposal seeking a safety report outlining the Company’s steps to reduce the risk of accidents.

¢ If I am a stockholder of record of Marathon shares, how do I cast my vote?

If you are a holder of record of Marathon common stock, you may vote in person at the annual meeting. We will give you a ballot at the meeting.

If you do not wish to vote in person or if you will not be attending the annual meeting, you may vote by proxy. If you received a printed copy of these proxy materials by mail, you may vote by proxy on the Internet, vote by proxy using the

enclosed proxy card, or vote by proxy over the telephone. The procedures for voting by proxy are as follows:

•

To vote by proxy on the Internet, go to http://www.proxyvote.com to complete an electronic proxy card. You will need the 12-digit Control Number included on your Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) or on your proxy card;

•

To vote by proxy using the enclosed proxy card (if you received a printed copy of these proxy materials by mail), complete, sign and date your proxy card and return it promptly in the envelope provided; or

•

To vote by proxy over the telephone (if you received a printed copy of these proxy materials by mail), dial the toll-free phone number listed on your proxy card under the heading “Vote by Phone” using a touch-tone phone and follow the recorded instructions.

If you vote by proxy, your vote must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on April 26, 2011 to be counted.

We provide Internet proxy voting to allow you to vote your shares on-line, with procedures designed to ensure the authenticity and correctness of your proxy vote instructions. However, please be aware that you must bear any costs associated with your Internet access, such as usage charges from Internet access providers and telephone companies.

¢	If I am a beneficial owner of Marathon shares, how do I vote?

If you are a beneficial owner of shares of Marathon common stock held in street name and you received a printed copy of these proxy materials by mail, you should have received a voting instruction card with these proxy materials from the organization that is the record owner of your shares rather than from us. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and you received a notice by mail, you should have received the notice from the organization that is the record owner of your shares rather than from us. Beneficial owners that received a printed copy of these proxy materials by mail from the record owner may complete and mail that voting instruction card or may vote by telephone or over the Internet as instructed by that organization in the voting instruction card. Beneficial owners

that received a Notice by mail from the record owner should follow the instructions included in the Notice to view the proxy statement and transmit their voting instructions. A beneficial owner planning to vote in person at the annual meeting must obtain a valid proxy from the record owner. To request the requisite proxy form, follow the instructions provided by your broker or contact your broker.

¢	Why did I receive a Notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials this year instead of a full set of proxy materials?

Pursuant to the rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, we have elected to provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet. Unless you previously requested to receive a printed copy of the proxy materials or reside in a location outside the United States, we are sending a Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials to our stockholders of record. All stockholders will have the ability to access the proxy materials. Instructions on how to access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a printed copy may be found on the Notice. In addition, stockholders may request to receive proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically by e-mail on an ongoing basis.

¢	May I change my vote?

If you are a holder of record of shares of Marathon common stock, you may change your vote or revoke your proxy at any time before your shares are voted at the meeting by:

•

voting again by telephone or over the Internet;

•

sending us a proxy card dated later than your last vote;

•

notifying the Secretary of Marathon in writing; or

•

voting at the meeting.

¢	How many outstanding shares are there?

At the close of business on February 28, 2011, which is the record date for the meeting, there were[ ] shares of Marathon common stock outstanding and entitled to vote.

¢	How big a vote do the proposals need in order to be approved?

Directors are elected by a majority of the votes cast. For a director to be elected, 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. Each of the other proposals, will be approved if it receives a majority of the votes of the shares present in person at the meeting and those represented by proxy and entitled to vote. Although the advisory votes on Proposals 4 and 5 are non-binding, as provided by law, our board will review the results of the votes and, consistent with our record of stockholder engagement, will take them into account in making a determination concerning executive compensation and the frequency of such advisory votes. Except as otherwise provided above, abstentions are counted as votes present and entitled to vote and have the same effect as votes against a proposal. Broker non-votes are not counted as either votes for or votes against a proposal. Both abstentions and broker non-votes are counted in determining that a quorum is present for the meeting.

¢	What are broker non-votes?

The New York Stock Exchange permits brokers to vote their customers’ shares on routine matters when the brokers have not received voting instructions from customers. The ratification of the independent auditor is an example of a routine matter on which brokers may vote in this way. Brokers may not vote their customers’ shares on non-routine matters such as the election of directors, proposals related to executive compensation or the stockholder proposals, unless they have received voting instructions from their customers. Shares held by brokers on behalf of these customers which are not voted on non-routine matters are broker non-votes.

¢	What constitutes a quorum?

Under our by-laws, a quorum is one third of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote.

¢	Will my vote be confidential?

Only the voting records of employee/shareholders are kept confidential, except as necessary to meet legal requirements and in other limited circumstances such as proxy contests.

¢	How will voting be conducted on other matters raised at the meeting?

If any matters are presented at the meeting other than the proposals on the proxy card, the proxy committee will vote on them using their best judgment. Your signed proxy card, or your telephone or Internet vote, gives them the authority to do this. Under our by-laws, notice of any matter to be presented by a stockholder for a vote at the meeting must have been received by our corporate Secretary on or after November 12, 2010 and no later than December 12, 2010, and it must have been accompanied by certain information about the stockholder presenting it. We have not received notice of any matter to be presented other than those on the proxy card.

¢	When must stockholder proposals be submitted for the 2012 annual meeting?

Stockholder proposals submitted for inclusion in our 2012 proxy statement must be received in writing by our corporate Secretary no later than the close of business on November [ ], 2011. Stockholder proposals submitted outside the process for inclusion in the proxy statement must be received from stockholders of record on or after November [ ], 2011 and no later than December [ ], 2011 and must be accompanied by certain information about the stockholder making the proposal, in accordance with our by-laws.


	The Board of Directors and Governance Matters Under our by-laws and the laws of Delaware, Marathon’s state of incorporation, the business and affairs of Marathon are managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The Board met eight times in 2010. Their attendance averaged approximately 98 percent for the aggregate of the total number of Board and committee meetings held in 2010. Under our Corporate Governance Principles, directors are expected to attend the annual meeting of stockholders, and in 2010 all of our then-serving directors attended the meeting in person or teleconference. With respect to a lead or presiding director, the chairman of the Board presides at all meetings of stockholders and of the Board of Directors. In circumstances where the outside directors meet without the chairman or in circumstances where the chairman is unavailable, the chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee presides at any such meeting, unless the Board determines that another director should lead the discussion due to the particular subject matter being discussed. The chairman of the Board also attends all committee meetings. Our Corporate Governance Principles also require non-management directors of the Company to meet at regularly scheduled executive sessions. To comply with this directive, an offer of an executive session is extended to non-management directors at each regularly scheduled Board meeting. The chairman of the Board presides at these executive sessions, which serve as an efficient check on management. In 2010, non-management directors of the Company held three executive sessions. In 2010, the Board had four principal committees, all the members of which were independent, non-employee directors. The table below shows the current committee memberships of each director and the number of meetings that each corresponding committee held in 2010.

Board Committee Memberships	Director	Audit and Finance Committee	Compensation Committee	Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee	Public Policy Committee

	Gregory H. Boyce	X	X		X
	David A. Daberko	X	X*	X
	William L. Davis	X		X	X

	Shirley Ann Jackson	X*	X		X
	Philip Lader			X	X*
	Charles R. Lee	X	X		X

	Michael E. J. Phelps	X		X	X
	Dennis H. Reilley		X	X*	X
	Seth E. Schofield	X	X	X
	John W. Snow		X	X	X

	Number of Meetings in 2010	5	6	6	5

	* Chair
	Pierre Brondeau was elected to the Board of Directors effective January 1, 2011. On January 29, 2011, he was appointed by the Board to serve on the Compensation Committee, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, and the Public Policy Committee.

Board and Committee Independence

The principal committee structure of the Board includes audit and finance, compensation, corporate governance and nominating, and public policy. These committees are comprised entirely of independent directors.

In determining independence, the Board affirmatively determines whether directors have no material relationship with the Company. When assessing materiality, the Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances including, without limitation, transactions between the Company and the director directly, immediate family members of the director, or organizations with which the director is affiliated, and the frequency and dollar amounts associated with these transactions. The Board further considers whether the transactions were at arm’s length in the ordinary course of business and whether the transactions were consummated on terms and conditions similar to those of unrelated parties. In 2010, the Board considered contributions made by the Company to universities and other not-for-profit organizations of which Shirley Ann Jackson and Philip Lader or their immediate family members are directors, trustees or affiliates, and payments made by the Company to a law firm which Philip Lader is a partner. These transactions did not exceed the thresholds set forth in the categorical standards below.

The Board uses the following categorical standards to determine director independence: (1) not being a present or former employee, or having an immediate family member as an executive officer, of the Company within the past three years; (2) not personally receiving, or having an immediate family member receive, any direct compensation from the Company in excess of $120,000 during any twelve-month period within the last three years, other than compensation for board or committee service, pension or other forms of deferred compensation for prior service, or compensation paid to an immediate family member who is a non-executive employee of the Company; (3) with respect to the Company’s external auditor, (a) not being engaged, or having an immediate family member engaged, as a current partner by the Company’s external auditor, (b) not being a current employee of the Company’s external auditor, (c) not having an immediate family member who is a current employee of the Company’s external auditor and who participates in such firm’s audit, assurance or tax compliance (but not tax planning) practice, or (d) not being engaged or employed or having an immediate family member engaged or employed, within the past three years (but is no longer) a partner or employee of such firm and personally worked on the Company’s audit within that time; (4) not being employed, or having an immediate family member employed, within the past three years as an executive officer of another company where now or at any time during the past three years any of the Company’s present executive officers serve or served on the other company’s compensation committee; (5) not being a current employee, or having an immediate family member who is a current executive officer, of a company that makes or made payments to, or receives or received payments from, the Company for property or services in an amount which, in any of the three preceding fiscal years, exceeded the greater of $1 million, or 2% of the other company’s consolidated gross revenues; and (6) not being an executive officer of a tax-exempt organization of which the Company has within the three preceding fiscal years made any contributions to that organization in any single fiscal year that exceeded the greater of $1 million, or 2% of the tax-exempt organization’s consolidated gross revenues.

Applying these categorical standards, the Board determined that the following directors qualify as independent: Gregory H. Boyce; Pierre Brondeau; David A. Daberko; William L. Davis; Shirley Ann Jackson; Philip Lader; Charles R. Lee; Michael E. J. Phelps; Dennis H. Reilley; Seth E. Schofield; John W. Snow; and Thomas J. Usher.

Audit and Finance Committee

The Audit and Finance Committee has a written charter adopted by the Board, which is attached hereto as Appendix I and is also available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Audit_Committee_Charter/. The charter requires the committee to reassess and report to the Board on the adequacy of the charter on an annual basis, which the committee did in 2010. All the members of the Audit and Finance Committee are independent (as independence is defined in Securities Exchange Act Rule 10A-3, as well as the general independence requirements of New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) Rule 303A.02).

This committee is, among other things, responsible for:

• appointing, replacing, compensating and overseeing the work of the independent auditor;

• reviewing the fees proposed by the independent auditor for the coming year and approving in advance all audit, audit-related, tax and permissible non-audit services to be performed by the independent auditor;

• separately meeting with the independent auditor, the internal auditors and management with respect to the status and results of their activities;

• reviewing with the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer, and the general counsel the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and management’s conclusions about the efficacy of such disclosure controls and procedures;

• reviewing, approving and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual and quarterly financial statements, reports of internal control over financial reporting, the annual report to stockholders, and the Form 10-K;

• reviewing earnings press releases;

• discussing with management guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken by the Company;

• reviewing and recommending dividends;

• approving and recommending financings, including the recommendations of action to subsidiaries, partnerships and joint ventures;

• reviewing and reporting on the Company’s compliance with financial covenants and other terms of loans and other agreements;

• reviewing legal and regulatory compliance regarding the Company’s financial statements, accounting or auditing matters or compliance with the Code of Business Conduct or Policy for Whistleblowing Procedures; and

• completing an annual performance evaluation of this committee.

The Audit and Finance Committee has the authority to investigate any matter brought to its attention with full access to all books, records, facilities and personnel of the Company, and to retain outside legal, accounting or other consultants.

Audit and Finance Committee Policy For Pre-Approval of Audit, Audit-Related, Tax and Permissible Non-Audit Services

The Audit and Finance Committee Policy For Pre-Approval of Audit, Audit-Related, Tax and Permissible Non-Audit Services is attached as Appendix II to this proxy statement and is also available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Policy_PreAppAudit_Tax_NonAudit/. Among other things, this policy sets forth the procedure for the committee to pre-approve all audit, audit-related, tax and permissible non-audit services, other than as provided under the de minimus exception. Notwithstanding the de minimus exception, it is the intent of the committee that standard


		practice will be to pre-approve all permissible non-audit services. The committee delegated pre-approval authority of up to $500,000 to the Audit and Finance Committee Chair for unbudgeted items. Audit Committee Financial Expert Based on the attributes, education and experience requirements set forth in Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and associated regulations, the Board of Directors has determined that David A. Daberko, Charles R. Lee, and Michael E. J. Phelps each qualify as an “Audit Committee Financial Expert.” • Mr. Daberko was chairman of the board and former chief executive officer of National City Corporation. In addition to certifying the effectiveness of internal controls and procedures required by his former position as CEO, Mr. Daberko’s previous positions with National City required him to oversee internal accounting controls and set internal control policy. As head of bank investments, he was responsible for overseeing accounting for that area. Mr. Daberko holds a MBA in finance from Case Western Reserve University. • Mr. Lee held positions as senior vice president-finance for Penn Central Corp. and Columbia Pictures Industries Inc., and senior vice president of finance with GTE Corporation. He received a MBA with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. • Mr. Phelps held a number of senior executive positions, including chief executive officer and chief financial officer for Westcoast Energy, Inc. In addition to his master’s of Law degree, he holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics and history. Guidelines for Hiring of Employees or Former Employees of the Independent Auditor The guidelines for hiring of employees or former employees of the independent auditor provide that the Company shall not hire any employee or former employee of its independent auditor for a position in a financial reporting oversight role if such employee or former employee was the lead or concurring partner, or any other member of the audit engagement team who provided more than ten hours of audit, review or attest services during the one-year period preceding the date of the initiation of the audit. A complete set of these guidelines is available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Guide_Hire_Employees_Indep_Auditor/. Policy for Whistleblowing Procedures The Policy for Whistleblowing Procedures establishes procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters, and the confidential, anonymous submission by employees to the Company of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. The Policy for Whistleblowing Procedures is available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Policy_Whistleblowing_Procedures/.


Compensation Committee		The Compensation Committee is composed solely of directors who satisfy all criteria for independence under applicable law and the rules of the NYSE and who, in the opinion of the Board, are free of any relationship that would interfere with their exercise of independent judgment as members of the committee.

The Compensation Committee has a written charter adopted by the Board, which is available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Charter_Comp_Committee/. The charter requires the committee to reassess and report to the Board on the adequacy of the charter on an annual basis, which the committee did in 2010.

The committee is, among other things, responsible for:

• making recommendations to the Board and to the boards of subsidiaries on all matters of policy and procedures relating to executive compensation;

• reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the chief executive officer’s compensation, and determining and approving the chief executive officer’s compensation level based on the Board’s performance evaluation of the chief executive officer;

• determining and approving the compensation of the other executive officers, and reviewing the succession plan relating to positions held by the other executive officers;

• recommending to the Board and administering the incentive compensation plans and equity-based plans of the Company;

• confirming the achievement of performance levels under the Company’s incentive compensation plans;

• reviewing, recommending, and discussing with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section included in the Company’s annual proxy statement; and

• evaluating its performance on an annual basis.

The committee used Towers Watson & Co. (“Towers Watson”), a global professional services firm, to serve as its compensation consultant for 2010. The Committee also hired Meridian Compensation Partners LLC (“Meridian”) in the fourth quarter of 2010. These firms report directly to the committee. The consultant provides the committee with comparative data on executive compensation and expert advice on the design and implementation of the Company’s annual and long-term compensation programs.

The committee seeks input from the CEO on compensation decisions and performance appraisals for all other officers. However, all officer compensation matters are approved by the committee.

The committee meets at least four times a year and is given the opportunity to meet in executive session at each of its meetings. With input from the compensation consultant, the CEO, and the Vice President of Human Resources, the chairman of the committee approves the agendas for committee meetings. When possible, the committee previews and discusses significant compensation decisions at one meeting before giving formal approval at a subsequent meeting.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

The members of the Compensation Committee are David Daberko (Chairman), Gregory Boyce, Pierre Brondeau, Shirley Ann Jackson, Charles Lee, Dennis Reilley, Seth Schofield and John Snow. Each person qualifies as an independent non-employee director, and no member has served as an officer or employee of the Company. During 2010, none of the Company’s executive officers served as a member of a compensation committee or board of directors of any other entity, which has an executive officer serving as a member of our Compensation Committee or Board of Directors.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is composed solely of independent directors in accordance with the rules of the NYSE. The committee’s primary purpose is to discharge the Board’s responsibility related to the development and implementation of a set of corporate governance principles, the identification of individuals qualified to become board members, and the review of the qualifications and make-up of the Board membership.

The committee is, among other things, responsible for:

• reviewing and making recommendations to the Board concerning the appropriate size and composition of the Board, including candidates for election or re-election as directors, the criteria to be used for the selection of candidates for election as directors, the appropriate skills and characteristics required of Board members in the context of the current make-up of the Board, the composition and functions of the Board committees, and all matters relating to the development and effective functioning of the Board;

• considering and recruiting candidates to fill positions on the Board;

• considering nominees recommended by stockholders for election as directors;

• reviewing and making recommendations to the Board of each Board committee’s membership and committee chairpersons including, without limitation, a determination of whether one or more Audit and Finance Committee members qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” in accordance with applicable law;

• assessing and recommending overall corporate governance practices;

• establishing the process and overseeing the evaluation of the Board;

• reviewing and approving codes of conduct applicable to directors, officers and employees;

• reviewing the Company’s policy statement on stockholders’ rights plans and reporting any recommendations to the Board; and

• evaluating its performance on an annual basis.

A current copy of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s charter is available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Charter_CorpGovNom_Committee/.


		Director Identification and Selection The process for director selection and director qualifications is set forth in Article III, Section (a) of the Company’s Corporate Governance Principles which are available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Corporate_Governance_Principles/. In summary, the chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the chief executive officer should work with a third-party professional search firm to review director candidates and their credentials. At least one member of the committee, the chairman of the board, and the chief executive officer should meet with the director candidate. This screening process applies to Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee recommended nominees, as well as nominees recommended by the stockholders in accordance with the Company’s by-laws. The criteria for selecting new directors include their independence, as defined by applicable law, stock exchange listing standards and the categorical standards listed in the Company’s Corporate Governance Principles, their business or professional experience, their integrity and judgment, their record of public service, their ability to devote sufficient time to the affairs of the Company, the diversity of backgrounds and experience they will bring to the Board, and the needs of the Company from time to time. Directors should also be individuals of substantial accomplishment with demonstrated leadership capabilities, and they should represent all stockholders and not any special interest group or constituency. The committee’s charter also gives the committee the sole authority to retain and terminate any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, including sole authority to approve the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.


Public Policy Committee		The Public Policy Committee assists the Board in identifying and monitoring social, political, and environmental trends and issues which affect the Company. Additionally, the committee analyzes the Company’s global reputation and develops recommendations to strategically position the Company to support its business objectives. A copy of the committee charter is available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Charter_Comm_PublicPolicy/. The committee is, among other things, responsible for: • reviewing and recommending Company policies, programs, and practices concerning broad public policy issues, which include, among other things, corporate responsibility, environmental protection, health, safety, ethical business conduct, consumer affairs and affirmative action/equal opportunity matters; • reviewing and approving the Company’s budgets for political and charitable contributions and monitoring the Company’s compliance with such budgets; and • identifying and monitoring broad public policy trends which affect or could affect the Company’s business activities, performance, and reputation.


Board’s Role in Risk Oversight		Responsibility for risk oversight rests with the Board of Directors and Committees of the Board in accordance with the focus areas of each Committee: The Audit and Finance Committee annually reviews the process by which enterprise risk management is undertaken by the Company and the latest assessment of those risks and key mitigation strategies. They regularly review risks associated with financial and accounting matters and reporting. They monitor compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, as well as internal control systems. They also review risks associated with financial strategies and capital structure of the Company.


		The Compensation Committee reviews the executive compensation program to help ensure that it does not encourage excessive risk and also reviews executive compensation, incentive compensation and succession plans to ensure the company has appropriate practices in place to support the retention and development of the talent necessary to achieve the company’s business goals and objectives. The Public Policy Committee regularly reviews and oversees operational risks including those relating to health, environmental, safety and security. They review risks associated with social, political and environmental trends, issues and concerns, domestic and international, which affect or could affect the Company’s business activities, performance and reputation. The Board receives regular updates from the committees about their activities in this regard and also reviews risks not specifically within the purview of a Committee and risks of a more strategic nature. Key risks associated with the strategic plan are reviewed annually at the strategy meeting of the Board and periodically throughout the year. While the Board and Committees of the Board oversee risk management, Company management is responsible for managing risk. The Company has a strong enterprise risk management process for identifying, assessing, and managing risk as well as monitoring the performance of risk mitigation strategies. The governance of this process is effected though the executive sponsorship of the CEO and CFO and led by the Enterprise Risk Manager and a committee of executive officers and senior managers responsible for working across the business to manage each enterprise level risk and to identify emerging risks. These leaders meet quarterly and provide regular updates to the Board and Committees of the Board for their specific risk areas throughout the year as noted above.


Corporate Governance Principles		Our Corporate Governance Principles are available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Corporate_Governance_Principles/. In summary, the Corporate Governance Principles address the general functioning of the Board, including its responsibilities, the Board size, director elections and limits on the number of Board memberships. These principles also address Board independence, committee composition, the lead director position, the process for director selection and director qualifications, the Board’s performance review, the Board’s planning and oversight functions, director compensation and director retirement and resignation.


Leadership Structure of the Board		As provided in our Corporate Governance Principles, the Board does not have a policy, one way or the other, on whether or not the role of the chairman and CEO should be separate and, if it is to be separate, whether the chairman should be selected from the non-employee directors or be an employee. The Board is to make this choice on the basis of what is best for our Company at a given point in time. Since the separation of USX Corporation on December 31, 2001 into two independent companies, we have separated the positions of chairman and CEO. Thomas J. Usher serves as our chairman, and Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr. serves as our President and CEO. The Board determined that Mr. Usher’s knowledge and past experience would serve our Company well, and his insights have been and continue to be invaluable to the Board. This is the primary reason we believe the Board leadership structure is appropriate for us at this time.

Diversity

The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for reviewing with the Board the appropriate skills and characteristics required of board members in the context of the current make-up of the Board. When we have an opening on the Board, we will always look at a diverse pool of candidates. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Principles, the assessment of the Board’s characteristics includes diversity, skills, such as an understanding of financial statements and financial reporting systems, manufacturing processes, technology and international experience. We view and define diversity in its broadest sense, which includes gender, ethnicity, education, experience and leadership qualities.

Communications from Interested Parties

All interested parties, including security holders, may send communications to the Board through the Secretary of the Company. You may communicate with the Chair of our Audit and Finance, Compensation, Corporate Governance and Nominating, and Public Policy Committees by sending an e-mail to auditandfinancechair@marathonoil.com, compchair@marathonoil.com, corpgovchair@marathonoil.com, or publicpolicychair@marathonoil.com, respectively. You may communicate with our outside directors, individually or as a group, by sending an e-mail to non-managedirectors@marathonoil.com.

The Secretary will forward to the directors all communications that, in her judgment, are appropriate for consideration by the directors. Examples of communications that would not be considered appropriate for consideration by the directors include commercial solicitations and matters not relevant to the affairs of the Company.

Code of Business Conduct

Our Code of Business Conduct is available on our website at http://www.marathon.com/Code_of_Business_Conduct/. The Code of Business Conduct applies to our directors, officers and employees.

Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers

Our Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers is available on the Company’s website at http://www.marathon.com/Code_Ethics_Sr_Finan_Off/. This code applies to the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, and mandates that these officers, among other things:

• act with honesty and integrity, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

• provide full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other public communications made by the Company;

• comply with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations; and

• promote the prompt internal reporting of violations of this Code of Ethics to the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board of Directors and to the appropriate person or persons identified in the Company’s Code of Business Conduct.

The code further provides that any violation will be subject to appropriate discipline, up to and including dismissal from the Company and prosecution under the law.

Compensation of Directors

The Board determines annual retainers and other compensation for non-employee directors. Directors who are employees of Marathon receive no compensation for their service on the Board.

2010 Director Compensation Table


Name⁽¹⁾	Fees Earned or Paid in Cash⁽²⁾ ($)		Stock Awards⁽³⁾ ($)		Option Awards ($)	Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($)	Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($)	All Other Compensation⁽⁴⁾ ($)		Total ($)

Gregory H. Boyce		150,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		300,000

David A. Daberko		162,000		150,000	0	0	0		10,000		322,000

William L. Davis		150,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		300,000

Shirley Ann Jackson		165,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		315,000

Philip Lader		160,000		150,000	0	0	0		10,000		320,000

Charles R. Lee		150,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		300,000

Michael E. J. Phelps		150,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		300,000

Dennis H. Reilley		160,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		310,000

Seth E. Schofield		150,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		300,000

John W. Snow		150,000		150,000	0	0	0		0		300,000

Thomas J. Usher⁽⁵⁾		350,000		100,000	0	0	0		10,000		460,000

(1)

The aggregate number of stock awards outstanding as of December 31, 2010 for each director is as follows: Mr. Boyce, 11,603; Mr. Daberko, 38,222; Mr. Davis, 36,186; Dr. Jackson, 40,315; Mr. Lader, 36,186; Mr. Lee, 68,839; Mr. Phelps, 9,408; Mr. Reilley, 38,222; Mr. Schofield, 55,648; Mr. Snow, 15,727; and Mr. Usher, 13,196.

(2)	The amounts shown reflect annual cash retainers, chairman fees, and committee chair retainers for 2010. Directors are eligible to defer up to 100% of their $150,000 annual cash retainer fees.

(3)

The amounts shown reflect the dollar amount recognized for financial statement reporting purposes for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States regarding stock compensation, for the annual non-retainer common stock award. These amounts are also equal to the grant date fair value of the awards.

(4)	The amounts shown represent contributions made on behalf of the directors under our matching gifts program.

(5)	The amount shown for Mr. Usher reflects the $350,000 annual retainer for his role as Chairman of the Board.


		In 2010, we paid our non-employee directors as follows:
		Annual Retainer		$150,000
		Annual Common Stock Unit Award		$150,000
		Committee Chair Retainer		$ 15,000 Audit and Finance Committee
				$ 12,000 Compensation Committee
				$ 10,000 All other committees
		Chairman of the Board Annual Cash Retainer		$350,000
		Chairman of the Board Annual Common Stock Unit Award		$100,000
		Directors do not receive meeting fees for attendance at Board or committee meetings. Non-employee directors, other than the chairman, received an annual common stock unit award valued at $150,000. The chairman received an annual common stock unit award valued at $100,000. These awards are credited to an unfunded account based on the closing stock price on the grant date. When dividends are paid on Marathon’s common stock, directors receive dividend equivalents in the form of common stock units. The awards are payable in shares of common stock upon the director’s departure from the Board. Directors have the opportunity to defer 100 percent of their annual retainer into an unfunded account. This deferred account may be invested in certain phantom investment options offered under the Marathon Oil Corporation Deferred Compensation Plan for Non-Employee Directors, which mirror the investment options offered to employees under our Thrift Plan with the exception of the Marathon common stock fund. When a director leaves the Board, he or she receives cash in a lump sum. Under our matching gifts program, non-employee directors may have up to $10,000 of their contributions to certain tax-exempt educational institutions matched by Marathon each year. The annual limit is applied based on the date of the director's gift to the institution. Due to processing delays, the actual amount paid out on behalf of a director may exceed $10,000 in a given year. We also have stock ownership guidelines in place for non-employee directors. All non-employee directors, including the chairman, are expected to hold three times the value of the annual retainer in Marathon stock. Directors have five years from the commencement of their service on the board to achieve these guidelines. In 2011, cash retainer amounts will be paid in quarterly installments and common stock unit awards will be granted on a quarterly basis.

Proposals of the Board

The Board will present the following proposals at the meeting:

Proposal No. 1

Election of Directors

Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that directors shall be elected for terms expiring at the next succeeding annual meeting of stockholders. Accordingly, we have thirteen nominees for director whose terms expire in 2011.

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 2012 annual meeting of stockholders. Of the thirteen current directors, one is an officer of Marathon, ten 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, and one served as Secretary of the Treasury. A brief statement about the background and qualifications of each nominee 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 90 days, but not more than 120 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.


Nominees for Director Terms Expire 2012

Gregory H. Boyce	Director since 2008	Age 56

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peabody Energy Corporation Mr. Boyce received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Arizona in mining engineering and completed the Advance Management Program from the Graduate School of Business at Harvard University. Mr. Boyce is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peabody Energy Corporation. He has been a director of Peabody Energy Corporation since March 2005, and was appointed Chairman on October 10, 2007. Mr. Boyce was named Chief Executive Officer Elect in March 2005, and assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer in January 2006. He also served as President from October 2003 until January 6, 2008. Mr. Boyce was Chief Operating Officer from October 2003 to December 2005. From 2000 to 2003, he served as Chief Executive Officer – Energy for Rio Tinto plc, an international natural resource company. Mr. Boyce was President and Chief Executive Officer of Kennecott Energy Company from 1994 to 1999 and President of Kennecott Minerals Company from 1993 to 1994. Prior to serving as President of Kennecott Minerals, he had extensive engineering and operating experience with Kennecott. Mr. Boyce also served as Executive Assistant to the Vice Chairman of Standard Oil from 1983 to 1984. He is Vice Chairman of the National Mining Association and is a Board member of the Business Round Table and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE). Mr. Boyce is a member of the Coal Industry Advisory Board of the International Energy Agency and a member of the National Coal Council. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University of St. Louis. Mr. Boyce is a member of Civic Progress in St. Louis and is a member of the Advisory Council of the University of Arizona's Department of Mining and Geological Engineering and the School of Engineering and Applied Science National Council at Washington University. As a chief executive officer, Mr. Boyce’s current position provides him with experience running a major corporation with international operations. This includes developing strategic insight and direction for his company. Global operations require a thorough understanding of different cultures and political regimes. His position as chief executive officer also exposes him to many of the same issues we face in our business, including markets, competitors, operational, regulatory, technology and financial.

Pierre Brondeau	Director since 2011	Age 53

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of FMC Corporation Mr. Brondeau earned both a bachelor of science degree and a Ph.D from Institut National des Sciences Appliquées of Toulouse in biochemical engineering and received a master's degree from the University of Montpellier, France in food sciences. He joined FMC Corporation on January 1, 2010, as President and Chief Executive Officer and became Chairman of the Board on October 1, 2010. Mr. Brondeau served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Dow Advanced Materials Division of Dow Chemical Company until September 2009. He was President and Chief Operating Officer of Rohm and Haas Company from May 2008, which was acquired by Dow Chemical in April 2009. From 2006 through May 2008, Mr. Brondeau served as Executive Vice President of electronics and specialty materials of Rohm and Haas Company. He held numerous executive positions during his tenure at Rohm and Haas Company from 1989 through May 2008, in Europe and the United States with global responsibilities for marketing, sales, research and development, engineering, technology and operations. Mr. Brondeau also serves on the Board of Directors of Tyco Electronics Ltd. He is a member of the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care Strategic Review Executive Task Force. Mr. Brondeau’s years of senior executive experience and executive leadership at large multi-national companies and his knowledge of developing technology, finance, acquisitions and mergers, strategic planning and regulatory issues impacting publicly-traded companies provides a valuable resource for our Board. He also has leadership experience serving as chairman of the board and also as a member of the board of an electronics manufacturer with service on its audit committee.