Strong earnings, strategic momentum, increased dividend
We continue to make steady progress against our strategy and plans, delivering another quarter of strong operational and financial performance. We brought two more major projects online, high-graded our portfolio through acquisitions such as BHP’s US onshore assets and invested in a low-carbon future with the creation of BP Chargemaster. Given this momentum and the strength of our financial frame, we are increasing our dividend for the first time in almost four years. This reflects not just our commitment to growing distributions to shareholders but our confidence in the future.Bob Dudley – Group chief executive
- Underlying replacement cost profit* for the second quarter of 2018 was $2.8 billion – four times that reported for the same period in 2017 – including significantly higher earnings from the Upstream and Rosneft.
- Operating cash flow excluding Gulf of Mexico oil spill payments* was $7.0 billion in the second quarter – which included a $1.3 billion working capital* release (after adjusting for inventory holding gains*) – and $12.4 billion in the first half, including a $0.4 billion working capital build.
- Dividend was increased 2.5% to 10.25 cents a share, the first rise since the third quarter of 2014.
- Upstream reported the strongest quarter since the third quarter of 2014 on both a replacement cost and underlying basis.
- Oil and gas production: reported production in the quarter was 3.6 million barrels of oil equivalent a day. Upstream production, excluding Rosneft, was 1.4% higher than a year earlier and up 9.6% when adjusted for portfolio changes and pricing effects, driven by rising output from new major projects* and strong plant reliability*.
- Major projects: with start-ups in Azerbaijan, Russia and Egypt, three of the six new projects expected to start in 2018 are now online.
- Strategic portfolio management: agreed to buy world-class US onshore oil and gas assets from BHP, a $10.5 billion acquisition that will transform BP’s US Lower 48 business. BP also agreed to increase its stake in the Clair oilfield in the UK while exiting the Greater Kuparuk Area in Alaska.
- Downstream reported strong first half refining performance, with record levels of crude processed at Whiting refinery in US; further expansion in fuels marketing, with more than 1,200 convenience partnership sites now across our retail network.
- Advancing the energy transition: acquisition of UK’s largest electric vehicle charging company Chargemaster and investment in innovative battery technology firm StoreDot move forward BP’s approach to advanced mobility.
- Gulf of Mexico oil spill payments in the quarter were $0.7 billion on a post-tax basis.
- Net debt* reduced in the quarter by $0.7 billion to $39.3 billion.
- BP’s share buyback programme continued with 29 million ordinary shares bought back in the first half at a cost of $200 million.
* See definitions in the Glossary on page 34. RC profit (loss), underlying RC profit, operating cash flow excluding Gulf of Mexico oil spill payments, working capital after adjusting for inventory holding gains, net debt and organic capital expenditure are non-GAAP measures.
Further information
BP press office, London: +44 (0)20 7496 4076, bppress@bp.com
Cautionary statement
In order to utilize the ‘safe harbor’ provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the ‘PSLRA’) and the general doctrine of cautionary statements, BP is providing the following cautionary statement: The discussion in this results announcement contains certain forecasts, projections and forward-looking statements – that is, statements related to future, not past events and circumstances – with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of BP and certain of the plans and objectives of BP with respect to these items. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as ‘will’, ‘expects’, ‘is expected to’, ‘aims’, ‘should’, ‘may’, ‘objective’, ‘is likely to’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’, ‘anticipates’, ‘plans’, ‘we see’ or similar expressions. In particular, the following, among other statements, are all forward looking in nature: expectations regarding the expected quarterly dividend payment and timing of such payment; plans and expectations to become the leading fuel provider for electric and conventional vehicles; plans and expectations regarding the start-up of six Upstream major projects in 2018; expectations regarding 2018 organic capital expenditure; plans and expectations with respect to gearing; expectations regarding divestment transactions and 2018 divestment proceeds; expectations regarding Upstream third-quarter 2018 reported production and turnaround and maintenance activity; expectations regarding Downstream third-quarter 2018 refining margins and turnaround activity; expectations regarding second-half 2018 decommissioning provision impacts; expectations regarding the amount of Rosneft dividends payable to BP; expectations regarding BP’s stake in LLC Kharampurneftegaz, including the transfer of subsoil use licences; plans and expectations regarding the agreements relating to BP’s increase in its interest in the Clair field and divestment from its interest in the Greater Kuparuk Area and holding in the Kuparuk Transportation Company; plans and expectations regarding the Southern Gas Corridor series of pipelines and the development of the Tortue/Ahmeyim gas project; plans and expectations regarding BP’s acquisition of onshore-US unconventional oil and gas assets from BHP; plans and expectations regarding legal and trial proceedings; plans and expectations regarding the operation of and sale of BP’s interest in the Rhum field; and expectations with respect to the timing and amount of future payments relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill including payments for full-year 2018 and 2012 PSC settlement payments. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will or may occur in the future and are outside the control of BP. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such statements, depending on a variety of factors, including: the specific factors identified in the discussions accompanying such forward-looking statements; the receipt of relevant third party and/or regulatory approvals; the timing and level of maintenance and/or turnaround activity; the timing and volume of refinery additions and outages; the timing of bringing new fields onstream; the timing, quantum and nature of certain divestments; future levels of industry product supply, demand and pricing, including supply growth in North America; OPEC quota restrictions; PSA effects; operational and safety problems; potential lapses in product quality; economic and financial market conditions generally or in various countries and regions; political stability and economic growth in relevant areas of the world; changes in laws and governmental regulations; regulatory or legal actions including the types of enforcement action pursued and the nature of remedies sought or imposed; the actions of prosecutors, regulatory authorities and courts; delays in the processes for resolving claims; amounts ultimately payable and timing of payments relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill; exchange rate fluctuations; development and use of new technology; recruitment and retention of a skilled workforce; the success or otherwise of partnering; the actions of competitors, trading partners, contractors, subcontractors, creditors, rating agencies and others; our access to future credit resources; business disruption and crisis management; the impact on our reputation of ethical misconduct and non-compliance with regulatory obligations; trading losses; major uninsured losses; decisions by Rosneft’s management and board of directors; the actions of contractors; natural disasters and adverse weather conditions; changes in public expectations and other changes to business conditions; wars and acts of terrorism; cyber-attacks or sabotage; and other factors discussed elsewhere in this report and under “Risk factors” in BP Annual Report and Form 20-F 2017 as filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
This document contains references to non-proved resources that the SEC’s rules prohibit us from including in our filings with the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosures in our Form 20-F, SEC File No. 1-06262. This form is available on our website at www.bp.com. You can also obtain this form from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330 or by logging on to their website at www.sec.gov.
