随着石油需求的改善 BP大幅降低了亏损

    中国石化新闻网讯 据能源世界网10月27日伦敦报道，英国能源巨头英国石油（BP）周二报告称，第三季度净亏损4.5亿美元，与上一季度由于新冠疫情造成的巨大损失相比，大幅下降。而第二季度的净亏损为168.5亿美元。

    BP第三季度没有出现巨额减记，加之石油需求小幅回升和价格趋稳，这对该公司有所帮助。

    BP首席财务官Murray Auchincloss在收益表中表示：“（第三季度）基本业务表现仍保持弹性，在强化资产负债表方面取得了实质性进展。

    在疫情导致巨额资产减记后，英国石油公司裁员1万人，占其全球员工总数的15%。

    今年第一季度末，在新冠肺炎疫情最严重的时候，全球各地的企业纷纷关闭，航空公司停飞，导致油价暴跌，甚至一度出现负增长。

    随后，油价大幅反弹，每桶40美元左右维持了一段时间。

    随着市场企稳，BP周二宣布，将派发每股5.25美分的季度股息。

    这与第二季度的派息相当，第二季度较第一季度减少了一半，这是自2010年“深水地平线”(Deepwater Horizon)钻井平台灾难以来首次削减派息。那次灾难损害了英国石油的财务状况和声誉。

    Auchincloss表示，为股息融资仍是我们的首要任务，我们有信心在增值资产剥离的支持下，向350亿美元净债务目标迈进。

    今年早些时候，该公司同意以50亿美元的价格将其石化业务出售给私营竞争对手英力士。

    这帮助英国石油公司将净债务降至约400亿美元，而第三季度的基本利润为8,600万美元。

    英国石油公司周二表示，新冠疫情的持续影响继续创造了一个不稳定且具有挑战性的交易环境。并补充道，自春季以来，随着亚洲需求的加强，石油需求的逐步恢复看来将继续下去。

    在伦敦富时100指数的交易中，英国石油公司的股价上涨1.8%，而富时100指数整体下跌0.2%。

    Hargreaves Lansdown资深投资和市场分析师苏珊娜?斯特里特(Susannah Streeter)表示:“尽管面临挑战，但英国石油拒绝进一步削减股息，否则股东们会非常反感。”

    郝芬 译自 能源世界网

    原文如下：

    BP slashes losses as oil demand improves

    British energy giant BP on Tuesday reported a net loss of $450 million for the third quarter, down very sharply on the previous quarter's mammoth losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The loss after tax for the July-September period compared with a net loss of $16.85 billion in the second quarter.

    BP was aided in the third quarter by an absence of huge writedowns coupled with a small recovery in oil demand and steadier prices.

    "The underlying business performance in the (third) quarter remained resilient and we made substantial progress in strengthening our balance sheet," BP chief financial officer Murray Auchincloss said in the earnings statement.

    BP is axing 10,000 jobs, or 15 percent of its global workforce, after the pandemic caused huge asset writedowns.

    After companies worldwide closed their doors and airlines grounded planes at the height of the Covid-19 outbreak towards the end of the first quarter, oil prices dropped off a cliff, even briefly turning negative.

    Prices then rebounded sharply and have traded around $40 a barrel for some time.

    With the market stabilising, BP on Tuesday announced a quarterly dividend of 5.25 US cents per share.

    This matched the second-quarter payout, which had been halved from the first quarter -- the first cut since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in 2010 that damaged BP's finances and reputation.

    "Funding the dividend remains our first priority and we are confident in moving towards our $35 billion net debt target, supported by value accretive divestments," Auchincloss said.

    The company earlier this year agreed the sale of its petrochemical business to privately-owned rival Ineos for $5.0 billion.

    That has helped BP to reduce net debt to about $40 billion, while it posted an underlying profit of $86 million in the third quarter.

    "The ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to create a volatile and challenging trading environment," BP said Tuesday.

    "The gradual recovery in oil demand seen since the spring looks set to continue, led by strengthening demand in Asia," it added.

    BP's share price rose 1.8 percent in morning deals on London's FTSE 100 index, which was down 0.2 percent overall.

    "Despite the challenges, BP has resisted making further cuts to its dividend, which would have been highly unpalatable to shareholders," noted Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.