Independent: Exxon Mobil outdid its European rivals yesterday with record first-quarter profits despite falling production and growing problems in Nigeria. The world’s largest company earned $10.9bn in profits in the first three months of the year, 17 per cent up over the same time period last year, thanks to an oil price that has reached new highs just shy of $120 per barrel. The results were the best ever for the American oil giant at this point in the year and the second best quarterly result …