<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-01-04</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000101778</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>MARATHON OIL CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>MRO</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001237640</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>LADER PHILIP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O MARATHON OIL CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>5555 SAN FELIPE ROAD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HOUSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>77056</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Marathon Oil Corporation Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-01-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>13650.546</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.00</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>110471.6496</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Marathon Oil Corporation Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-01-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>0.217</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>12.82</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>110471.4326</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Marathon Oil Corporation Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>3230.663</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Trust</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Non-Retainer Annual Director Stock Unit Award granted under Marathon Oil Corporation 2012 Incentive Compensation Plan. The annual non-retainer stock based compensation represented by these common stock units are credited to an unfunded account. These common stock units, along with their accrued dividend equivalent rights, will vest on January 4, 2019 and be payable in shares of common stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes dividends of 3,154.6464 shares previously not reported pursuant to Rule 16a-11.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Funds received from Issuer for fractional Non-Retainer Annual Director Stock Units upon vesting of common stock units on January 4, 2016 and payable in whole shares of common stock.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Includes dividends of 104.7511 shares previously not reported pursuant to Rule 16a-11.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">The shares are held by the reporting person's spouse's irrevocable defective grantor trust (&quot;Spouse's Trust&quot;). The reporting person is the trustee of the Spouse's Trust and the reporting person's spouse is the settlor of the Spouse's Trust. The beneficiaries under the Spouse's Trust are the children of the reporting person and spouse.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Sam A. Mazzu, Attorney-in-Fact for Philip Lader</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
