British oil giant BP posts weakest quarterly earnings in nearly four years on lower crude prices

British oil major BP on Tuesday reported its weakest quarterly earnings in nearly four years, weighed down by a slump in crude prices and lower refining margins.

The energy firm posted underlying replacement cost profit, used as a proxy for net profit, of $2.3 billion for the July-September period. That beat analyst expectations of $2.1 billion, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus.

BP reported net profit of $2.8 billion for the second quarter of the year and $3.3 billion for the third quarter of 2023.

The firm’s third-quarter results were the weakest since the fourth quarter of 2020, when industry profits cratered during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have made significant progress since we laid out our six priorities earlier this year to make bp simpler, more focused and higher value,” Murray Auchincloss, CEO of BP, said in a statement.

“In oil and gas, we see the potential to grow through the decade with a focus on value over volume. We also have a deep belief in the opportunity afforded by the energy transition – we have established a number of leading positions and will continue high-grading our investments to ensure they compete with the rest of our business.”

Oil prices fell by more than 17% in the third quarter amid concerns about the outlook for global oil demand.

BP maintained its dividend at 8 cents per share after raising it in the second quarter and said it would keep the rate of its share buyback program unchanged at $1.75 billion over the next three months.

The company said it is committed to announcing a further $1.75 billion share buyback in the fourth quarter but warned that, as part of an update to its medium term plans in February next year, it intends “to review elements of our financial guidance, including our expectations for 2025 share buybacks.”

Net debt rose to $24.3 billion in the July-September period, up from $22.6 billion at the end of the second quarter. BP said the increase was primarily driven by lower operating cash flow, higher capital expenditures and lower divestment.

Shares of London-listed BP have fallen over 14% year-to-date, underperforming its European rivals as investors continue to question the firm’s investment case.

BP’s latest results come shortly after reports emerged the company scrapped its pledge to reduce oil and gas production by 2030, rolling back a core tenet of the firm’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the century — or sooner.

The move, reported by Reuters on Oct. 7, citing three unnamed sources, would be viewed as further evidence of CEO Auchincloss’s plan to prioritize near-term returns from the firm’s more profitable fossil fuel operations.

BP was also said to be targeting several new investments in the Middle East and the Gulf of Mexico to boost oil and gas output, the news agency reported.

A BP spokesperson told CNBC: “As Murray said at the start of year in our fourth quarter results, the direction is the same – but we are going to deliver as a simpler, more focused, and higher value company.”

Britain’s Shell and France’s TotalEnergies are scheduled to report quarterly results on Thursday, with U.S. majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron set to follow suit on Friday.

Last week, Norwegian oil and gas producer Equinor reported a 13% drop in adjusted operating income in the July-September period, missing analyst expectations.