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Financial and operational performance
- Strong earnings and cash flow from operations
- High oil production. NCS gas production impacted by planned maintenance and
extended turnarounds
- Strong results from sales and trading of oil and oil products
Strategic progress
- Dogger Bank A first power in the UK
- Negative decision on petition for US Northeast Coast offshore wind projects
- Breidablikk field onstream; approval of Snøhvit Future PDO
- Consent to develop the Rosebank field in the UK
Competitive capital distribution
- Third quarter ordinary cash dividend of USD 0.30 per share, continued
extraordinary cash dividend of USD 0.60 per share and fourth tranche of
share buy-back USD 1.67 billion
Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor ASA:
“Equinor delivered strong cash flow and earnings in a quarter with considerably
lower gas prices than last year. Through strong operational performance, we
delivered high oil production from Johan Sverdrup and our international
portfolio. The gas production from the Norwegian continental shelf was impacted
by planned maintenance and extended turnarounds. We continue with significant
capital distribution and will deliver a total distribution of 17 billion dollars
in 2023.”
“We continue our transition, with first power from Dogger Bank in the UK - the
world’s largest offshore wind farm, further expanding in onshore renewables in
Brazil and Poland, and investing in the Bayou Bend CCS project in the US. With
the approved plan for electrification of Hammerfest LNG, and start-up of power
from shore for Gina Krog, we continue to reduce our own emissions.”
“We continue to contribute to energy security by developing profitable oil and
gas projects with low emissions from production, through the development of the
Rosebank field in the UK and the start-up of the Breidablikk field on the NCS.”
Strong oil production
Equinor delivered total equity production of 2,007 mboe per day in the third
quarter, compared to 2,021 mboe per day in the same quarter of 2022. Liquids
production grew 12% compared to the same quarter last year. This was mainly
driven by strong operational performance and production from Johan Sverdrup on
the NCS, the partner operated Vito field in the USA, the Peregrino field in
Brazil and the addition of the Buzzard field in the UK to the portfolio. Gas
production was impacted by planned maintenance and unplanned extended
turnarounds on the Troll A-platform and the third-party operated Nyhamna gas
processing facility. Following the unplanned losses year to date, estimated
production in 2023 is now adjusted to be around 1.5 % above 2022-level.
Power production from renewable energy sources was 373 GWh in the quarter, up
from 294 GWh in the same quarter last year. The increase was driven by higher
production on UK wind farms and new production from onshore renewables in
Poland, as well as the floating wind farm Hywind Tampen in full production.
Including UK gas-to-power, total power production ended at 883 GWh for the
quarter.
Strategic and industrial progress
Equinor continues to develop its renewables and low carbon solutions portfolio,
while contributing to energy security by developing profitable oil and gas
projects with low emissions from production.
In the UK, Dogger Bank A, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, started
production in October. It is expected to contribute to energy security and the
decarbonisation of the UK’s energy system. The Rosebank field received
government approval to progress towards planned oil production in 2026-27. With
total recoverable resources of around 245 million barrels, the field is expected
to strengthen production and value creation on UK continental shelf and for
Equinor.
On the NCS the Breidablikk field started production in October, ahead of
schedule and with low costs and low emissions from production. In the quarter,
the plan for electrification and onshore compression at Hammerfest LNG received
government approval, enabling LNG exports with reduced emissions towards 2050.
The plan for development of the Eirin field was also delivered, the field is
expected to contribute with gas volumes from 2025. Eirin will be developed as a
subsea tie-back to Gina Krog, which was powered from shore this quarter.
Offshore wind projects on the US Northeast Coast are negatively impacted by cost
inflation and supply chain constraints. New York Public Service Commission
rejected price increase petitions from Equinor and other companies and Equinor
is assessing the implications for its projects.
In the quarter, Equinor acquired a stake in Bayou Bend CCS LLC, a company well
positioned to develop one of the largest carbon capture and storage projects in
the USA.
Equinor completed 5 exploration wells offshore with 2 commercial discoveries in
the quarter. At the quarter end, 12 wells were ongoing.
Strong financial results
Equinor delivered strong adjusted earnings* of USD 8.02 billion and USD 2.73
billion after tax. This is lower than for the same quarter last year, mainly due
to gas prices coming down from the extraordinary levels in 2022.
The Marketing, Midstream & Processing (MMP) segment delivered strong results
with adjusted earnings* of USD 876 million, above the guided range for adjusted
earnings*. The result was mostly driven by strong sales and trading of oil and
oil products, optimisation of the shipping portfolio and high refining margins.
In the third quarter, Equinor recognised net impairments of USD 971 million,
mainly consisting of impairments of assets on the NCS and in the MMP segment of
USD 588 million and USD 346 million, respectively. In the Renewables segment, an
impairment of USD 300 million was recognised. This was partially offset by a
reversal of impairment of an asset in the US Gulf of Mexico of USD 290 million.
Cash flow provided by operating activities, before taxes paid and working
capital items, amounted to USD 11.3 billion for the third quarter.
Equinor paid an NCS tax instalment of USD 3.67 billion based on expected 2023
earnings. In October an extra instalment of USD 930 million was paid, and two
ordinary instalments of USD 3.75 billion(1), will be paid in the fourth quarter.
Organic capital expenditure* was USD 2.64 billion for the quarter, and total
capital expenditures were USD 3.21 billion. After taxes, capital distribution to
shareholders and investments, net cash flow* ended at USD 1.48 billion for the
third quarter.
Equinor maintains a strong financial position with adjusted net debt to capital
employed ratio* at negative 22.9% by the end of the third quarter, from negative
35.1% at the end of the second quarter of 2023.
Competitive capital distribution
The board of directors has decided an ordinary cash dividend of USD 0.30 per
share, and to continue the extraordinary cash dividend of USD 0.60 per share for
the third quarter of 2023, in line with communication at the Capital Markets
Update in February. The Equinor shares will trade ex-dividend on Oslo Børs and
New York Stock Exchange from and including 14 February 2023.
Total capital distribution for 2023 will be around USD 17 billion, including a
share buy-back programme of USD 6 billion. The board of directors has decided to
initiate a fourth and final tranche of the share buy-back programme for 2023 of
USD 1.67 billion. The fourth tranche will commence on 30 October and end no
later than 29 January 2024.
The third tranche of the share buy-back programme for 2023 was completed on 20
October 2023 with a total value of up to USD 1.67 billion.
All share buy-back amounts include shares to be redeemed by the Norwegian State.
- For items marked with an asterisk throughout this report, see Use and
reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures in the Supplementary disclosures
(1) NOK 37.5 billion, USD estimate based on a USD/NOK exchange rate assumption
of 10.
Further information from:
Investor relations
Bård Glad Pedersen, Senior vice president Investor relations,
+47 918 01 791 (mobile)
Press
Sissel Rinde, vice president Media relations,
+47 412 60 584 (mobile)
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section
5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
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