BP Reports First Annual Loss in a Decade

英国石油报告10年来首次年度亏损

 

BP reported its first annual loss in a decade after a 96 per cent drop in fourth-quarter profit as the UK oil major continues to reel from the hit to energy demand from the pandemic.

 

英国石油（BP）报告其10年来首次年度亏损，该公司第四季度利润下降96%。这家英国能源巨头仍在艰难应对疫情对能源需求的冲击。

 

Underlying profit on a replacement cost basis – the measure of income tracked most closely by industry analysts – was $115m in the three months to December 31.

 

在截至12月31日的三个月里，基本重置成本利润（行业分析师最密切跟踪的利润指标）为1.15亿美元。

 

This fell short of analyst expectations of a $370m profit, according to a company-compiled estimate, and compares with $2.6bn in the same period the year before.

 

根据公司汇总的估计，这低于分析师预期的3.7亿美元，而去年同期为26亿美元。

 

Bernard Looney, chief executive, said it had been “a tough quarter at the end of a tough year”.

 

首席执行官陆博纳（Bernard Looney）表示，这三个月是“在艰难的一年结束时的一个艰难的季度”。

 

It has been a brutal time for the industry, with lockdowns and travel bans causing big drops in earnings.

 

疫情使全球石油行业受到无情打击，封锁和旅行禁令导致利润大幅下降。

 

For the full year, BP slumped to a loss of $5.7bn, from a $10bn profit in 2019, because of the collapse in energy prices, a writedown in the value of oil and gas assets by billions of dollars and depressed demand.

 

就全年而言，2019年盈利100亿美元的BP在2020年亏损57亿美元，原因包括能源价格暴跌、数十亿美元的油气资产减记以及需求低迷。

 

The group said quarterly performance had been “significantly” hit by lower fuel sales and refining margins. It also blamed weaker gas marketing and trading results, and higher exploration write-offs.

 

该集团表示，季度业绩受到燃料销售和炼油利润率下降的“显著”打击。它还将业绩欠佳归咎于天然气营销和交易业绩下降，以及更高的勘探业务注销额。

 

“The weather was colder in Asia than we had thought and warmer in America than we had thought,” Mr Looney said in an interview. “Our traders were caught.”

 

“亚洲的天气比我们预期的更为寒冷，而美国的天气比我们预期的更为暖和。”陆博纳在接受采访时表示，“我们的交易员失手了。”

 

BP, which returned to profit in the third quarter, had already warned of a volatile outlook.

 

在第三季度恢复盈利的BP此前已警告称，其经营前景将是不稳定的。

 

Oil demand is anticipated to rebound in 2021 and it expects to benefit from higher gas prices in future. But fuel sales and refinery margins are forecast to remain under pressure.

 

预计石油需求将在2021年反弹，而该集团有望受益于未来的天然气价格上涨。但燃料销售和炼厂利润率预计仍将承受压力。

 

The price of crude oil has recovered from last April’s lows – below $20 a barrel – helped by a nascent market recovery and the rollout of vaccinations. Although Brent crude is again above $55 a barrel, it is far from the $70 level of a year ago.

 

原油价格已从去年4月每桶20美元以下的低点回升——得益于近期的市场复苏以及疫苗接种工作展开。虽然布伦特原油（Brent crude）价格再次处于每桶55美元上方，但仍显著低于一年前的70美元水平。

 

“I think there are issues about mutations and issues about vaccine rollout... but, at the same time, we have vaccines so there will be a recovery,” said Mr Looney. “How long it will take, time will tell.”

 

“我认为当前存在病毒突变的问题，以及疫苗接种工作方面的问题……但与此同时，我们有疫苗，因此复苏将会到来。”陆博纳表示，“至于这要花多长时间，只有时间才能告诉我们。”

 

The recent oil rebound has helped BP’s share price, which last year fell to multi-decade lows. But the shares fell more than 3 per cent after the results were published on Tuesday.

 

近期的油价反弹帮助支撑了BP的股价，去年该股曾跌至数十年来最低点。但在周二公布业绩后，该股下跌逾3%。

 

The pandemic is accelerating a transformation of the group under Mr Looney, who took up his role in February 2020 and promised to turn BP into a net-zero emissions company by 2050.

 

新冠疫情正在加快该集团在陆博纳领导下的转型。他于2020年2月上任，并承诺到2050年将BP转型为一家净排放为零的公司。

 

BP is shrinking production in the coming decade, selling assets and reshaping its business for a lower-carbon future, which includes restructuring the company and cutting 10,000 jobs.

 

BP将在未来10年缩减产量，出售资产并重塑业务，包括重组公司和裁员1万人，以迈向一个低碳未来。

 

It cut its dividend in August for the first time since the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, to 5.25 cents, which it has since maintained including in the latest quarter.

 

自2010年“深水地平线”（Deepwater Horizon）灾难以来，该集团在去年8月首次削减股息，至5.25美分，并在此后保持这一股息水平，包括在最近一个季度。

 

It has also slashed capital spending by billions of dollars, cut costs dramatically, secured new credit lines, issued bonds and stalled exploration activity. It expects capital expenditure to be $13bn in 2021.

 

它还砍掉数十亿美元的资本支出，大幅削减成本，争取到新的信贷额度，发行债券并暂缓勘探活动。BP预计2021年的资本支出将为130亿美元。

 

It also wants to sell $25bn in assets by 2025 to cut debt and pay for green energy investment.

 

它还希望到2025年出售250亿美元的资产，以削减债务并为绿色能源投资项目买单。

 

The company said net debt – which stood at $39bn in the fourth quarter – would increase in the first half of 2021, but it still aimed to reach its $35bn target as early as the end of this year.

 

该公司表示，净债务（第四季度为390亿美元）将在2021年上半年有所增加，但其目标仍然是最早在今年底就达到350亿美元净债务的目标。

 

BP announced this week the sale of a 20 per cent stake in an Omani gas block for $2.6bn.

 

BP本周宣布，将以26亿美元出售阿曼一个天然气区块20%股份。

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