A study  of   financial and operating trends of   some 87 global oil  and natural gas companies in the third quarter of 2021  indicated that Brent crude oil daily average prices were 69% higher in the last quarter of 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020 averaging $73 per barrel.   Combined petroleum liquids production level also increased by 1 percent in the third quarter of 2021 from the same period last year, while natural gas production increased 4% during  the said period.

The study which was conducted by the Petroleum and Liquid Fuels Markets Team in December 2021 also revealed that  Cash from operations in the third quarter of 2021 totalled $157 billion, the highest for any quarter in the last three years due to high cost of oil prices.   Net losses from hedging derivatives stood at $11 billion in the last quarter of 2021 , totalling close to  $30  billion in the first three quarters of 2021. 

HOUSING  GHANA SHOW, 2022

Capital expenditure in third-quarter of 2021 totalled $57 billion. This figure was 25%  higher than the same period last year.   Close to 40 percent of the energy companies included in the study also produced less than 50,000  barrels per day in the third-quarter of last year. 

Production from  oil and natural gas companies in the third-quarter of 2019 also remained lower than any quarter in 2019 . Petroleum liquids and natural gas production also  increased from the  third quarter  of 2020 to third-quarter 2021. Crude oil prices in the third quarter of 2021 were 69 percent higher than the same period last year .

Natural gas prices more than doubled during the same period ,while cash from operations in third-quarter 2021 totalled $157 billion.  Representing the most for any quarter in the 2017–21 period.  Capital expenditure in third-quarter 2021 also totaled $57 billion, 25%  higher than in third-quarter 2020. 

About 86% of the energy companies included in the study  had positive free cash flow, with 89%  reporting a positive upstream earnings in third-quarter 2021.

Net losses from hedging derivatives stood at $11 billion in third-quarter  2021.Totaling almost $30 billion in the first three quarters of 2021.Distributions to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases  also amounted to 24% of cash from operations .The   87 energy  companies also witnessed a decrease in  debt by $37 billion in third-quarter 2021, with  long-term debt-to-equity ratio at  50% .

The long-term debt-to-equity ratio in the third-quarter 2021was 50% for  energy companies and 61% for U.S. manufacturing companies. The energy companies’ combined market capitalization in the third-quarter of   2021. This figure  remained the same  during the second-quarter 2021. 

The energy companies’ return on equity was 9% in third-quarter of  2021.The return on equity for  the energy companies remained lower than U.S.  manufacturing company returns .Upstream capital expenditure per barrel of oil equivalent were 11% of  crude oil prices in third-quarter 2021.