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Wednesday, February 14, 2024 4:15 PM ET

Occidental Announces 4th Quarter 2023 Results

  • Strong operational performance drove operating cash flow of $3.2 billion and cash flow from operations before working capital of $2.5 billion

  • Capital spending of $1,544 million and contributions from noncontrolling interest of $98 million, resulting in quarterly free cash flow before working capital of $1.1 billion

  • Total company production of 1,234 Mboed exceeded the mid-point of guidance by 8 Mboed, overcoming a third-party outage in eastern Gulf of Mexico

  • OxyChem exceeded guidance with pre-tax income of $250 million

  • Earnings per diluted share of $1.08 and adjusted earnings per diluted share of $0.74

  • Worldwide year-end proved reserves of 4.0 billion BOE with reserves replacement of 137%

  • Increased quarterly dividend by 22% to $0.22 per share

  • Announced cash flow accretive acquisition of CrownRock, strengthening Occidental's U.S. onshore portfolio with premier Permian Basin assets

  • Closed acquisition of Carbon Engineering, enabling cost and capital efficiencies and the ability for Occidental to catalyze broader partnerships for Direct Air Capture deployment

HOUSTON — February 14, 2024 — Occidental (NYSE: OXY) today announced net income attributable to common stockholders for the fourth quarter of 2023 of $1.0 billion, or $1.08 per diluted share, and adjusted income attributable to common stockholders of $710 million, or $0.74 per diluted share.

"Our teams performed exceptionally well during the fourth quarter of 2023, concluding another year of operational excellence across all three business segments," said President and Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub. "We are continuing to focus on delivering long-term value for our shareholders through the 22% increase in our dividend and strategic transactions to high-grade our domestic portfolio and advance our low-carbon initiatives, including the closing of the Carbon Engineering acquisition."

Fourth quarter after-tax items affecting comparability of $319 million were primarily comprised of an after-tax fair value gain of $283 million related to the acquisition of Carbon Engineering.

QUARTERLY RESULTS

Oil and Gas

Oil and gas pre-tax income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $1.6 billion, compared to pre-tax income of $2.0 billion for the third quarter of 2023. Excluding items affecting comparability, fourth quarter oil and gas income declined from the prior quarter due to lower domestic crude oil prices and higher lease operating expenses. For the fourth quarter of 2023, average WTI and Brent marker prices were $78.32 per barrel and $82.69 per barrel, respectively. Average worldwide realized crude oil prices decreased by approximately 2% from the prior quarter to $78.85 per barrel. Average worldwide realized NGL prices decreased by less than 1% from the prior quarter to $20.93 per barrel. Average domestic realized gas prices decreased by approximately 2% from the prior quarter to $1.88 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf).

Total average global production of 1,234 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (Mboed) for the fourth quarter exceeded the midpoint of guidance by 8 Mboed, overcoming a third-party outage in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Rockies & Other Domestic and International average daily production volumes exceeded guidance at 285 Mboed and 234 Mboed, respectively, and Permian came in above the midpoint of guidance at 588 Mboed. Average daily production for the Gulf of Mexico for the fourth quarter was 127 Mboed. 

Oil and Gas Proved Reserves

As of December 31, 2023, Occidental's worldwide proved reserves totaled 4.0 billion barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), compared to 3.8 billion BOE as of December 31, 2022. Proved reserve additions were mainly driven by positive revisions associated with infill development projects of 303 million BOE, primarily in the DJ and Permian Basins, and extensions and discoveries of 153 million BOE, mostly in the Permian Basin. The 2023 Reserves Replacement - All-In was 137% and the three-year average Reserves Replacement - All-In for 2021 to 2023 was 183%. Finding and development (F&D) All-In and F&D - Organic costs for 2023 were $9.68 per BOE and $9.27 per BOE, respectively. The three-year average F&D All-In and F&D - Organic costs for 2021 to 2023 were $5.72 per BOE and $5.08 per BOE, respectively.  

OxyChem

OxyChem pre-tax income of $250 million for the fourth quarter of 2023 exceeded guidance. Compared to third quarter of 2023 income of $373 million, the decrease in fourth quarter income was driven primarily by higher plant operating costs and raw materials costs, primarily ethylene, partially offset by advantageous commercial thresholds triggered in the fourth quarter. During the fourth quarter of 2023, a planned total complex outage for maintenance was completed at OxyChem's Ingleside, Texas manufacturing complex, which restricted both segment production and sales volumes. The facility restarted in December and is operating at full capacity.

Midstream and Marketing

Midstream and marketing pre-tax results for the fourth quarter of 2023 reflected income of $182 million, compared to a loss of $130 million for the third quarter of 2023. WES equity method investment income for the fourth quarter was $149 million. Excluding items affecting comparability, the decrease in midstream and marketing pre-tax fourth quarter results, compared to the third quarter, reflected lower crude margins due to the timing impact of crude sales in the marketing business, lower income from the power generation business due to seasonal pricing impact, partially offset by higher gas margins resulting from wider WAHA to Gulf Coast spreads in the marketing business and improved sulfur pricing at Al Hosn.

Supplemental Non-GAAP Measures

This press release refers to adjusted income (loss), cash flow from operations before working capital, capital expenditures, net of noncontrolling interest and free cash flow, which are supplemental measures not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). These Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to the comparable GAAP financial measures. Definitions of adjusted income (loss) and a reconciliation to net income (loss), along with cash flow from operations before working capital, capital expenditures, net of noncontrolling interests and free cash flow and a reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measures, are included in the financial schedules of this press release. Occidental’s definition of adjusted income (loss), cash flow from operations before working capital, capital expenditures, net of noncontrolling interest and free cash flow may differ from similarly titled measures provided by other companies in our industry and as a result may not be comparable.

This press release also refers to F&D Costs and reserves replacement ratio, which are non-GAAP measures that Occidental believes are widely used in our industry, as well as by analysts and investors, to measure and evaluate the cost of replacing annual production and adding proved reserves. Occidental's definitions of these non-GAAP measures may differ from similarly titled measures provided by other companies and as a result may not be comparable. F&D Costs - All-In is calculated by dividing total costs incurred for the year as defined by GAAP by the sum of proved reserves revisions, improved recovery, extensions and discoveries and purchases of minerals in place for the year. F&D Costs - Organic is F&D Costs - All-In excludes both the property acquisition costs and purchase of minerals in place, and F&D Costs - Program Additions further excludes price and other revisions that are not infills. Reserves Replacement - All-In is calculated by dividing the sum of proved reserves revisions, improved recovery, extensions and discoveries and purchases and sales of minerals in place for the year by current year production. Reserves Replacement - Organic is Reserves Replacement - All-In excludes purchases and sales of minerals in place for the year. Reserves Replacement - Program Additions further excludes price and other revisions that are not infills.

About Occidental

Occidental is an international energy company with assets primarily in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa. We are one of the largest oil and gas producers in the U.S., including a leading producer in the Permian and DJ basins, and offshore Gulf of Mexico. Our midstream and marketing segment provides flow assurance and maximizes the value of our oil and gas. Our chemical subsidiary OxyChem manufactures the building blocks for life-enhancing products. Our Oxy Low Carbon Ventures subsidiary is advancing leading-edge technologies and business solutions that economically grow our business while reducing emissions. We are committed to using our global leadership in carbon management to advance a lower-carbon world. Visit oxy.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to statements about Occidental’s expectations, beliefs, plans or forecasts. All statements other than statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including, but not limited to: any projections of earnings, revenue or other financial items or future financial position or sources of financing; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations or business strategy; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; any statements of belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Words such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “believe,” “expect,” “aim,” “goal,” “target,” “objective,” "commit," "advance," “likely” or similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes are generally indicative of forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release unless an earlier date is specified. Unless legally required, Occidental does not undertake any obligation to update, modify or withdraw any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Actual outcomes or results may differ from anticipated results, sometimes materially. Forward-looking and other statements regarding Occidental's sustainability efforts and aspirations are not an indication that these statements are necessarily material to investors or require disclosure in Occidental's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In addition, historical, current and forward-looking sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve and assumptions that are subject to change in the future, including future rulemaking. Factors that could cause results to differ from those projected or assumed in any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions, including slowdowns and recessions, domestically or internationally; Occidental’s indebtedness and other payment obligations, including the need to generate sufficient cash flows to fund operations; Occidental’s ability to successfully monetize select assets and repay or refinance debt and the impact of changes in Occidental’s credit ratings or future increases in interest rates; assumptions about energy markets; global and local commodity and commodity-futures pricing fluctuations and volatility; supply and demand considerations for, and the prices of, Occidental’s products and services; actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC oil producing countries; the scope and duration of global or regional health pandemics or epidemics, and actions taken by government authorities and other third parties in connection therewith; results from operations and competitive conditions; future impairments of Occidental's proved and unproved oil and gas properties or equity investments, or write-downs of productive assets, causing charges to earnings; unexpected changes in costs; inflation, its impact on markets and economic activity and related monetary policy actions by governments in response to inflation; availability of capital resources, levels of capital expenditures and contractual obligations; the regulatory approval environment, including Occidental's ability to timely obtain or maintain permits or other government approvals, including those necessary for drilling and/or development projects; Occidental's ability to successfully complete, or any material delay of, field developments, expansion projects, capital expenditures, efficiency projects, acquisitions or divestitures, including the CrownRock Acquisition; risks associated with acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures, such as difficulties integrating businesses, uncertainty associated with financial projections, projected synergies, restructuring, increased costs and adverse tax consequences; uncertainties and liabilities associated with acquired and divested properties and businesses; uncertainties about the estimated quantities of oil, NGL and natural gas reserves; lower-than-expected production from development projects or acquisitions; Occidental’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits from prior or future streamlining actions to reduce fixed costs, simplify or improve processes and improve Occidental’s competitiveness; exploration, drilling and other operational risks; disruptions to, capacity constraints in, or other limitations on the pipeline systems that deliver Occidental’s oil and natural gas and other processing and transportation considerations; volatility in the securities, capital or credit markets, including capital market disruptions and instability of financial institutions; government actions, war (including the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East) and political conditions and events; health, safety and environmental (HSE) risks, costs and liability under existing or future federal, regional, state, provincial, tribal, local and international HSE laws, regulations and litigation (including related to climate change or remedial actions or assessments); legislative or regulatory changes, including changes relating to hydraulic fracturing or other oil and natural gas operations, retroactive royalty or production tax regimes, and deep-water and onshore drilling and permitting regulations; Occidental's ability to recognize intended benefits from its business strategies and initiatives, such as Occidental's low-carbon ventures businesses or announced greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets or net-zero goals; potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation, government investigations and other proceedings; disruption or interruption of production or manufacturing or facility damage due to accidents, chemical releases, labor unrest, weather, power outages, natural disasters, cyber-attacks, terrorist acts or insurgent activity; the creditworthiness and performance of Occidental's counterparties, including financial institutions, operating partners and other parties; failure of risk management; Occidental’s ability to retain and hire key personnel; supply, transportation, and labor constraints; reorganization or restructuring of Occidental’s operations; changes in state, federal or international tax rates; and actions by third parties that are beyond Occidental's control.

Additional information concerning these and other factors that may cause Occidental's results of operations and financial position to differ from expectations can be found in Occidental’s other filings with the SEC, including Occidental’s 2023 Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

View the news release and financial schedules here.