Equinor second quarter 2024
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The international upstream business benefitted in the quarter from new wells on stream and volumes from the Buzzard field in the UK,
which has been contributing from the third quarter of 2023. However, production volumes in the USA were impacted by turnaround
activity in the Gulf of Mexico and curtailment of production in the Appalachian Basin, resulting in lower volumes for the second quarter
relative to the same period in 2023. Production from the international upstream business was consistent with 2023 for the first half of
the year.
The addition of onshore power plants in Brazil and Poland during 2023, and the start-up of Mendubim solar projects in 2024, drove an
increase of 90% and 64% in renewable power generation for the second quarter and first half of 2024 respectively compared to 2023.
Power generation from Triton Power reduced compared to 2023 due to low clean spark spreads.
Higher production volumes, together with increased third-party sales, an overlift position and the higher liquids prices resulted in an
increase in revenue in the second quarter of 2024 compared to 2023. The increase was partially offset by the reduction in gas prices
from the second quarter of 2023.
Gas prices were lower in 2024 driving a downward trend in revenues for the first half of 2024 relative to 2023 despite the increase in
production volumes.
In the second quarter of 2024 our Marketing, Midstream and Processing segment delivered good results from gas and power trading,
particularly equity and third-party LNG trading. However, lower refinery throughput due to maintenance and reduced margins from
physical sales negatively impacted this contribution.
Adjusted operating and administrative expenses* increased in the second quarter of 2024 due to higher production capacity across
the portfolio, increased operations and maintenance activity and a change to a net overlift position in the quarter, partially offset by
lower cost of purchases of CO
2
quotas. An underlift position in the first quarter of the year softened the increase in operational
maintenance costs for the first half of 2024. Costs associated with the development and future capacity building of the renewables and
low carbon solutions portfolios are also increasing and impacting the results.
The ramp up of new fields, increased production and the inclusion of Buzzard contributed to an overall increase in adjusted
depreciation, amortisation and net impairments* in the second quarter and first half of 2024 compared to the same periods in 2023.
In the second quarter of 2024, exploration expenses include the impact of expensing a dry offshore well in Argentina. Exploration
costs associated with Bacalhau were expensed earlier in the year. The prior year includes the capitalisation of previously expensed
well costs resulting in an overall notable increase in exploration expenses for the second quarter and first half of 2024.
Net financial items in the quarter and in the first half of 2024 reduced from the same periods in the prior year due to less favourable
foreign currency exchange movements of the USD versus the NOK.
Taxes and net financial result
The effective reported tax rate of 70.7% for the first half of 2024 increased compared to 67.8% in 2023 due to currency effects in
entities that are taxable in other currencies than the functional currency. The effective reported tax rate of 75.1% for the second
quarter of 2024 decreased compared to 75.2% in 2023. The decrease in effective tax rate was mainly due to lower share of income
from jurisdictions with high tax rates partly offset by currency effects in entities that are taxable in other currencies than the functional
currency.
The effective tax rate on adjusted operating income* of 68.5% for the first half of 2024 decreased compared to 70.6% in 2023 due to
decreased prior period adjustments in 2024 compared with 2023.
The effective tax rate on adjusted operating income* of 71.2% for
the second quarter of 2024 increased compared to 70.4% in 2023 due to higher share of adjusted operating income* from jurisdictions
with high tax rates in 2024 compared to 2023.
An adjusted net income* result of USD 2,417 million and a net income of USD 1,872 million were recorded in the second quarter of
Cash flow, net debt and capital distribution
The strong operational performance in the second quarter of 2024 translated into solid financial results and cash flow provided by
operating activities before taxes paid and working capital items of USD 9,748 million. The less favourable cash impact of financial
instruments in the second quarter of 2024 impacts this operating result when compared to the same quarter in the prior year.
Cash flow from operations after taxes paid* increased compared to the second quarter of 2023, from an outflow of USD 356 million to
an inflow of USD 1,898 million, primarily due to lower tax payments reflecting the lower price environment of 2023 relative to 2022. For
the first half of 2024 cash flow from operations after taxes paid* was USD 7,737 million, down from USD 9,360 million in the prior year.