SAO PAULO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Hydrocarbons will continue

to play a critical role for a long time to come, the CEO of U.S.

energy company Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) said on Friday, adding that the

question would be whether they continue to be burned as fuel.

"Crude oil and hydrocarbons are going to play a critical

role in everybody's life for a long time to come," Darren Woods

told Reuters in Sao Paulo. "I think the question is, do you

continue to combust them? And that, I think, will change with

time, depending on how technology develops."