Tullow Oil reported a deeper-than-expected operating loss for the first half as lower oil price expectations forced it to book hefty impairment charges, but the market welcomed news it had raised a cost-saving target by $150 million.
London-listed Tullow, whose main operations are in Africa, stayed in the red in the first half 2017 with an operating loss of $395 million, steeper than the $350 million loss expected by analysts. This was mainly due to a $572 million charge on its Ghanaian TEN oilfields, which it brought on stream last year. This extends Tullow’s loss-making streak after it reported a third straight annual loss for 2016 in February.
But the firm, which appointed a new CEO and CFO in the past three months, is starting to turn a corner after it was hit hard by falling oil prices when it was spending heavily on new projects.
Tullow was free cash flow positive in the first half of the year at $205 million and managed to reduce debt to $3.8 billion, down from $4.8 billion at the end of 2016, mainly due to using the proceeds from a surprise rights issue. On July 26, Tullow also announced a fresh internal cost reduction target of $650 million by mid-2018 from a mid-2015 base.
“We believe the company has turned a corner. Tullow has the ability to generate free cash flow and further improve its balance sheet, whilst also continuing to offer high-impact exploration potential,” said analysts at BMO Capital Markets.
The firm is gearing up to drill for oil offshore Suriname in an area close to where U.S. oil major ExxonMobil Corp. announced a new oil discovery and raised its resource estimate on July 25..
But shareholders expecting a reinstatement of the dividend will have to remain patient. CEO Paul McDade told Reuters the company was unlikely to do this before the end of next year.
“We see the dividend as a potential part of that overall shareholder return at the right time,” he said, adding that bringing production from the TEN oil fields to full capacity over the coming 18 months would be one of the parameters to meet.
Recommended Reading
For Sale? Trans Mountain Pipeline Tentatively on the Market
2024-04-22 - Politics and tariffs may delay ownership transfer of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which the Canadian government spent CA$34 billion to build.
Report: Crescent Midstream Exploring $1.3B Sale
2024-04-23 - Sources say another company is considering $1.3B acquisition for Crescent Midstream’s facilities and pipelines focused on Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico.
Venture Global Acquires Nine LNG-powered Vessels
2024-03-18 - Venture Global plans to deliver the vessels, which are currently under construction in South Korea, starting later this year.
Imperial Oil Shuts Down Fuel Pipeline in Central Canada
2024-03-18 - Supplies on the Winnipeg regional line will be rerouted for three months.
Hess Midstream Subsidiary to Buy Back $100MM of Class B Units
2024-03-13 - Hess Midstream subsidiary Hess Midstream Operations will repurchase approximately 2 million Class B units equal to 1.2% of the company.