Solid first half; strong operations, strong cash flow
[i" We continue to position BP for the new oil price environment, with a continued tight focus on costs, efficiency and discipline in capital spending. We delivered strong operational performance in the first half of 2017 and have considerable strategic momentum coming into the rest of the year and 2018, with rising production from our new Upstream projects and marketing growth in the Downstream. " Bob Dudley, group chief executive[/i]
- Underlying replacement cost (RC) profit* for the second quarter was $0.7 billion.
- Second-quarter operating cash flow, excluding Gulf of Mexico oil spill payments*, was $6.9 billion. Including these payments, operating cash flow* for the quarter was $4.9 billion.
- Dividend unchanged at 10 cents per share.
- Second-quarter Upstream production was 10% higher than in the same period in 2016; first-half production was 6% higher.
- Upstream major projects on track; two new projects sanctioned in quarter; significant gas discoveries in Senegal and Trinidad announced; $753 million exploration write-off, predominantly in Angola.
- In Downstream, first-half fuels marketing earnings around 20% higher than in the first half of 2016.
* See definitions in the Glossary on page 32. RC profit (loss), underlying RC profit, cash flow excluding Gulf of Mexico oil spill payments, organic capital expenditure and net debt are non-GAAP measures.
Cautionary statement
In order to utilize the ‘safe harbor’ provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the ‘PSLRA’), 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 – 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, among other statements, expectations regarding the expected quarterly dividend payment and timing of such payment; expectations regarding 2017 net debt, organic capital expenditure and divestment proceeds; expectations regarding the adjusted effective tax rate in 2017; expectations regarding Upstream third-quarter 2017 reported production; expectations regarding Downstream third-quarter 2017 refining margins and North American heavy crude oil differentials; plans and expectations with respect to the start-up of new Upstream projects; expectations with respect to new Upstream production through 2020; expectations regarding Rosneft operational and financial information for the first half of 2017; expectations with respect to the timing and amount of future payments relating to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill; and expectations that claims arising under the 2012 PSC settlement will be substantially paid by the end of 2018; are all forward looking in nature. 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; 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 2016 as filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
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