Energy giant BP has announced its lowest quarterly profit since the Covid-19 pandemic amid lower oil prices and refining margins.
The firm - which runs its North Sea operations from Dyce in Aberdeen - made underlying profits of $2.27billion (£1.75million) in Q3, down from $2.8billion (£2.16billion) in the second quarter.
It is the firm's lowest quarterly profit since 2020 and for the first nine months of 2024,to the end of September, BP made £5.9billion profit, down 29% on the same period last year.
Addressing investors this morning, BP Chief Executive Murray Auchincloss said: "We have made significant progress since we laid out our six priorities earlier this year to make BP simpler, more focused and higher value.
"In oil and gas, we see the potential to grow through the decade with a focus on value over volume. We also have a deep belief in the opportunity afforded by the energy transition - we have established a number of leading positions and will continue high-grading our investments to ensure they compete with the rest of our business.
"I am absolutely clear that the actions we are taking will grow the value of BP."
Despite the drop in Q3 earnings, BP said it would buy back another $1.75billion (£1.35billion) of shares, maintaining its pledge to buy back $7billion (£5.4billion) of stock in 2024.
Oil prices continue to fall
Meanwhile, oil prices fell sharply at the start of the week after tensions in the Middle East appeared to ease.
Brent crude fell over 6% at $71.42 a barrel, a drop of more than $4 in daily trading. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, fell 6.1% to $67.38 a barrel, its largest one-day fall in two years.
The decline comes after Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei avoided directly threatening Israel in a speech on Saturday.
Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend avoided hitting energy facilities, helping reassure oil markets and demonstrating restraint.
FTSE 100
The UK's flagship share index, the FTSE 100, was up 43-points at 8,285 was shortly after opening this morning.
Brent crude oil futures were down 0.14%, trading at $71.32 a barrel.
Companies reporting today
Advanced Micro Devices | Q3 Results |
Alphabet | Q3 Results |
BP | Q3 Results |
C&C Group | Half Year Results |
Elementis | Q3 Trading Statement |
Hargreaves Lansdown | Q1 Interim Management Statement |
HSBC | Q3 Results |
McDonald's | Q3 Results |
PayPal | Q3 Results |
Pearson | Q3 Trading Statement |
Pfizer | Q3 Results |
Visa | Q4 Results |