Energy
Occidental to Exit Bakken, Reduce Participation in Some Overseas Fields
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On a GAAP basis, Occidental posted a net loss of $3.42 a share, including after-tax charges of $2.6 billion reflecting the sharp decline in future prices for oil and gas.
The company’s CEO, Stephen I. Chazen, said that Occidental has made a “strategic decision to exit the Williston Basin and will continue to evaluate and minimize our involvement in non-core operations in the Middle East and North Africa.” The company’s production rose by 94,000 barrels a day year-over-year in the third quarter, with nearly all the increase coming from the Permian Basin and the company’s Al Hosn project.
Chazen continued:
Although oil and NGL prices declined sequentially in the third quarter, our operating cash flow increased to $1.0 billion from $800 million in the second quarter of 2015. We reduced our capital spending another $300 million to $1.2 billion in the third quarter compared to $1.5 billion in the second quarter. Permian Resources continues to represent over 50 percent of total oil and gas spending. We continue to achieve drilling efficiencies and reduce unit operating costs. Wolfcamp well costs in the Delaware Basin are down over 40 percent and our Permian Resources unit operating costs are down 18 percent from a year ago.
Occidental’s average quarterly West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent marker prices were $46.43 per barrel and $51.17 per barrel, respectively, for the third quarter of 2015, a decrease of about 20% on a sequential quarterly basis and over 50% on a year-over-year basis.
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The company did not provide guidance, but the analysts’ consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.02 on revenues of $3.31 billion in the fourth quarter. For the full year, analysts are looking for EPS of $0.28 on revenues of $13.16 billion.
The stock traded up about 4% Wednesday morning to $73.01. The stock’s 52-week range is $63.60 to $86.37, and the consensus price target is $78.75.
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