Posted on 04/26/2006 7:01:02 AM PDT by freakboy
LONDON - Oil company BP PLC said Tuesday its profit fell 15 percent in the first quarter as a drop in oil and gas output, a Texas refinery shutdown and higher taxes offset gains from soaring world oil prices.
BP, the world's second-largest oil company by market capitalization, posted a first-quarter net profit of $5.6 billion, down from $6.6 billion a year earlier.
Revenue rose 23 percent to $67.1 billion, largely thanks to higher oil prices, with North Sea Brent contracts — a key crude benchmark — rising by 30 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year.
The impact of closed oil platforms following last year's big hurricane season showed in the slowing of production in the quarter to 4.035 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, compared to 4.101 million in the same period last year.
BP said its Texas City refinery, shut down last year as a precaution before Hurricane Rita in September, was stepping up production.
"The Texas City refinery is now running at 200,000 barrels per day and further units will be brought onstream across the balance of 2006," said Chief Executive John Browne.
The refinery, BP's largest in North America, has a 460,000-barrel-a-day capacity. It restarted gasoline production a week ago and is now running at 200,000 barrels a day.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the Mars platform — jointly owned with Royal Dutch Shell PLC — is yet to reopen after Hurricane Katrina passed through in August. Shell, which owns a 71.5 percent stake to BP's 28.5 percent, said last week that it planned to resume output there in early May.
BP's global output was also hurt by lower production at its Russian joint venture TNK-BP, which reflected the impact of production-asset disposals and of extremely cold weather in the first quarter.
Brown said that the company's actions to control costs are on track and the financial results were affected by higher tax charges.
Quarterly replacement cost profit, a key indicator for analysts, was $5.3 billion. That was better than analysts' consensus forecast of $5.1 billion but down from $5.5 billion in the same quarter of 2005.
The measure excludes exceptional items and gain in the value of inventory holdings, providing the amount it would cost to replace assets at current prices.
BP's first-quarter profit last year was boosted by $1.1 billion in divestments, including the sale of its 10.34 percent stake in Ormen Lange, a natural gas field off Norway's continental shelf.
BP shares dropped 1.4 percent to close at 701.50 pence ($12.54).
No Windfall profits tax for them. Aw shucks.
"Are we going to subsidize BP because they aren't doing well? "
Well, it seems we already are subsidizing them.
Stop IT!
I'm getting all misty.
what about the children? think of the children!
How are we subsidizing them?
At $5.6 billion in net "PROFITS" they aren't doing well? LMAO
Wish I could "not do well" also.
I am...that's what get's me so upset.
You see, unlike others I realize that oil companies direct their profits to the poor and deserving children all over the world. That's also why I, unlike others, was not bothered to see the "retiring" EXXON CEO get a 400 million dollar parachute because I KNOW that he's is going to give most of it "to the children".
Very upsetting ;-)
"How are we subsidizing them?"
I saw on the morning news that GWB is talking about cutting the 1.5Bn in federal subsidies to the oil companies.
If this kind of profit -- at the peak of the energy sector's historic profitability, mind you -- is considered "obscene" and results in calls for price controls, Congressional hearings, etc., then no wonder people in the energy business consider companies like ExxonMobil, BP/Amoco, etc. to be terrible investments.
15% drop comparerd to what? Their 50% in profits last year?
Another example of worthless media info.
I for one do not consider their return of "8.3%" obscene at all. I just don't want to hear them whining about a bad 1st quarter when at the same time they are making historically high profits.
I would also point out that if they are claiming 8.3% profit, it's probably double that or even triple. We all should be aware of the intricacies of accounting ethics these days.
Here is a great thread comparing profits by MEDIA COMPANIES http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1619752/posts
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.