ExxonMobil and Chevron both reported better than expected quarterly results Friday as the oil majors benefited from higher prices and record production.
Besides the disruption caused by the wars in Iran and Ukraine that have driven up the cost of fuel, Exxon is also seeing strong production in its fields in Guyana and the Permian Basin in the Southwest. Chevron said its results include one month of production in Venezuela where it’s making a big investment.
Utilization at Exxon's U.S. Gulf Coast refineries was at 100%, and U.S. Gulf Coast diesel production was at the second-highest on record.
The price of diesel, currently about $6.32 per gallon, is up 71% since last year, according to AAA. Regular gasoline is up about 38% in the past year as well.
Darren Woods, ExxonMobil chairman and CEO, noted that investments such as the expansion of its Beaumont refinery in Texas have contributed to an increase in its distillate production by approximately 40% since 2019.
For the third quarter, net income more than doubled to $3.72 per share. On an adjusted basis, profit totaled $4.23 per share, easily topping the average analyst estimate of $4.12 per share.
Revenue during the three months ended in September rose 33% to $113.16 billion, also beating estimates.
The Spring, Texas-based company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.07 and set a $20 billion stock buyback plan.
Houston-based Chevron said Friday it earned $9.9 billion, or $5.06 per share, during the third quarter, as revenue surged 36% to $67.8 billion. Its results handily topped estimates.
Crude utilization at Chevron's U.S. refineries totaled 98%. The company said it set production records at its Eastern Mediterranean and Australian assets.
Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil company, has had a presence in Venezuela since 1923. Last month it announced it will invest $7 billion over the next five years in Venezuela. It said Friday that following an accounting-related change during the quarter, it’s now including those results.
Overall capital expenditures during the quarter were lower compared with a year ago because it spent less in the Permian Basin.
Mike Wirth, Chevron’s chairman and CEO, said that the company signed agreements to reduce Bakken midstream costs by about 50%, strengthening the asset’s competitiveness. Chevron increased its holdings in the Bakken fields in North Dakota and Montana following its $53 billion acquisition of Hess Corp. last year.
In premarket trading, Exxon shares rose 1.9%. The stock is up 64% in the past 12 months. Chevron shares rose 1.1%.
