Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) reported higher second-quarter earnings and production, with Chief Financial Officer Torgrim Reitan saying the company is executing in line with plans presented at its recent Capital Markets Day to grow energy output, cash flow and returns through 2030.
Reitan said Equinor produced 2.165 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in the quarter, up 3% from the same period last year. Adjusted operating income totaled $11.5 billion before tax, while IFRS net income was $4.8 billion. Adjusted earnings per share were $1.33. Cash flow from operations after tax reached $13.7 billion year to date.
Production Growth Driven by Norway and New Fields
Reitan said production on the Norwegian continental shelf rose 4%, driven by new fields including Johan Castberg, Halten East and Verdande, with Eirin and Symra also coming on stream during the quarter. He highlighted another strong quarter from Johan Sverdrup, where Equinor now expects the annual decline to be at the low end of its previously indicated 10% to 20% range.
Production was affected by turnarounds, maintenance and a temporary outage at Johan Castberg. In response to an analyst question, Reitan said issues related to turbine waste heat took 18 days to resolve, and the field resumed production on July 13. He said the impact to Equinor in the third quarter would be about 14,000 barrels per day.
Internationally, production growth was supported by Adura in the U.K. and Bacalhau in Brazil, offsetting lower ownership in Peregrino and the divestment of onshore Argentina assets. Reitan said first-half production growth totaled 6%, making the company’s full-year guidance of 3% growth “more robust,” though Equinor left its production guidance unchanged.
Financial Results Lifted by Prices, Trading and Refining
Equinor said liquids and European gas prices were higher than the same quarter last year, while U.S. gas prices were lower. Adjusted operating income in E&P Norway was $9.2 billion before tax and $2.1 billion after tax. In international E&P, Reitan said operating income nearly doubled on 4% production growth and an improved portfolio.
The company’s Marketing, Midstream and Processing segment delivered $777 million in pretax income, well above its $400 million-per-quarter guidance. Reitan attributed the performance to crude trading and strong results at the Mongstad refinery, which benefited from higher margins. He said European refinery product markets were tight, with FCC margins around $25 per barrel in the second quarter, and that Mongstad continued to deliver strong results early in the third quarter.
Power results reflected a strong contribution from power trading for a second consecutive quarter. Equinor produced 1.2 terawatt-hours of power in the quarter, with growth from Dogger Bank in the U.K. and new onshore assets.
Cash Flow, Divestments and Shareholder Returns
Cash flow from operations before tax was $14.8 billion in the quarter. Equinor paid $7.1 billion in taxes, including three Norwegian continental shelf installments totaling about $6.4 billion. Organic capital expenditure was $3.4 billion, and net cash flow before distributions was positive $5.5 billion.
The company distributed $1.1 billion to shareholders during the quarter. Its board approved an ordinary cash dividend of $0.39 per share and a third tranche of share buybacks of up to $1.125 billion, including the Norwegian state’s share.
Reitan said Equinor ended the quarter with about $24 billion in cash and cash equivalents, while its net debt ratio declined to 10.4%. At current forward prices, he said the company expects the net debt ratio to be somewhat below 10% at year-end.
Equinor also recorded proceeds from portfolio actions. The sale of Argentina onshore assets generated $558 million in proceeds during the quarter, in addition to $88 million received in the first quarter, and Equinor recorded a $467 million gain. A partial divestment of its financial position in Scatec generated $171 million in proceeds and an accumulated recorded gain of $61 million.
Gas Market Outlook and Capital Allocation
Asked about European natural gas markets, Reitan described the situation as “vulnerable” heading into autumn and winter, citing uncertainty around LNG flows and European storage levels. He said storage was 53% full, more than 15 percentage points below average, and that Equinor does not expect Europe to reach 80% storage before winter.
Reitan said Equinor is already producing gas at maximum levels in the short term, but can optimize flows through its production and transportation system toward markets where gas is most needed and prices are highest. He said Equinor keeps its natural gas exposure floating, with 70% linked to day-ahead prices and 30% to month-ahead prices.
On whether strong cash flow could lead to share buybacks above the $3 billion now planned for the year, Reitan said no. He said additional cash has been directed toward increasing oil and gas investments by $1 billion, strengthening the balance sheet and doubling the share buyback program for the year.
Project Pipeline and Cost Focus
Reitan pointed to several projects supporting future growth, including the ramp-up of Bacalhau, which he said is expected to reach plateau by year-end. He also cited Raia in Brazil, Sparta in the Gulf of Mexico, Rosebank and Jekta in the U.K., and the recently sanctioned Greater PAJ project in Angola.
On Bay du Nord in Canada, Reitan said BP is handing its ownership to Equinor and that the timeline remains unchanged, with a sanctioning target in 2027. He said Equinor is working to bring in another partner and described the project as supported by the Canadian government.
Reitan said Equinor continues to manage cost inflation through portfolio-level contracting, standardization and simplification. He said the company’s new developments have a break-even below $40 per barrel and that its NCS 2035 operating model aims to double development speed and cut costs by half across a portfolio of projects.
Equinor left its guidance unchanged for production, capital spending and capital distribution, with Reitan saying the quarter demonstrated progress toward the company’s stated objectives of increasing production by 150,000 barrels per day to 2030, growing cash flow from operations by 30% and targeting a 15% return on capital employed through the decade.
About Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR)
Equinor ASA (NYSE: EQNR) is a Norway-based integrated energy company headquartered in Stavanger. Historically established as Statoil in the 1970s to develop Norway’s petroleum resources, the company changed its name to Equinor in 2018 to reflect a strategic shift toward a broader energy portfolio. Equinor’s operations span the full upstream value chain, including exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas, alongside trading and marketing activities that support its global commercial operations.
In recent years Equinor has pursued a transition strategy that combines continued development of conventional oil and gas resources with growing investments in low?carbon energy.
