Statoil reports adjusted earnings of USD 4.0 billion and USD 1.3 billion after tax in the fourth quarter of 2017. IFRS net operating income was USD 5.2 billion and the IFRS net income was USD 2.6 billion.
Statoil reported this on February 7, 2018.
The fourth quarter was characterised by:
- Strong earnings and underlying cash flow. Net debt ratio at 29.0%
- Solid operational performance with record production in fourth quarter and 2017. The 2017 underlying production growth was above 6%. The reserve replacement ratio (RRR) was 150%
- Strong progress on project deliveries and efficiency improvements. 2017 organic capex was USD 9.4 billion
- Increase in dividend by 4.5% to USD 0.23 per share, subject to annual general meeting approval
“In a recovering market, we delivered strong earnings and cash flow from all business segments. We had record high production both in the fourth quarter and for the full year, supported by continued solid operational performance. We expect long-term underlying earnings growth, and in line with our dividend policy the board proposes to increase the dividend by 4.5% to USD 0.23 per share,” says Eldar Sætre, President and CEO of Statoil ASA.
“We have taken down our capital expenditure to 9.4 billion dollars from an initial guiding of 11 billion dollars. This has been achieved from continued improvement efforts and strong project deliveries. In cooperation with our suppliers and partners, we are getting more for less,” says Sætre.
“Our cash flow generation was strong across the business. At an average oil price of around 54 dollars per barrel, we generated 3.1 billion dollars in free cash flow in 2017 and strengthened our financial position. We reduced our net debt ratio by more than 6 percentage points during this year, after having done several value-enhancing acquisitions,” says Sætre.
Adjusted earnings were USD 4.0 billion in the fourth quarter, up from USD 1.7 billion in the same period in 2016. Adjusted earnings after tax were USD 1.3 billion in the fourth quarter, up from negative USD 40 million in the same period last year. Higher prices and continued solid operational performance, with record high production, contributed to the increase. In addition, lower exploration expenses contributed positively. For the full year, adjusted earnings were USD 12.6 billion, more than three times higher than USD 4.1 billion in 2016.
IFRS net operating income was USD 5.2 billion in the fourth quarter compared to negative USD 1.9 billion in the same period of 2016. The IFRS result was impacted by net impairment reversals of USD 1.6 billion, mainly related to a US onshore asset. IFRS net income was USD 2.6 billion, up from negative USD 2.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016. For the full year, IFRS net income was USD 4.6 billion, compared to negative USD 2.9 billion in 2016.
Statoil delivered equity production of 2,134 mboe per day in the fourth quarter, an increase from 2,095 mboe per day in the same period in 2016. The increase was primarily due to higher flexible gas production to capture higher prices, increased production US onshore and ramp-up of new fields. With continued solid operational performance Statoil delivered all time high production with an underlying production growth of more than 6% in 2017.
As of year-end 2017, Statoil had completed 28 exploration wells with 14 commercial discoveries. Adjusted exploration expenses in the quarter were USD 0.3 billion, down from USD 0.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016.
The reserve replacement ratio (RRR) was 150% in 2017, impacted by sanctioning of new projects and positive reserve revisions on existing fields.
Cash flows provided by operating activities before taxes paid and working capital amounted to USD 20.7 billion for the full year of 2017 compared to USD 15.0 billion in 2016. Organic capital expenditure was USD 9.4 billion for the full year of 2017. At year end, net debt to capital employed was 29.0%, after an increase in working capital and payments for value enhancing transactions.
The board of directors proposes to the annual general meeting (AGM) to increase the dividend by 4.5% to USD 0.23 per share, for the fourth quarter. The two-year scrip program ended as planned in third quarter 2017.
The twelve-month average Serious Incident Frequency (SIF) was 0.6 for 2017, compared to 0.8 in 2016.
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