Australian LNG producer Woodside reported a 74 percent drop in its 2023 profit due to lower prices.
The Perth-based firm, which is a top 10 global independent energy company by hydrocarbon production after the completion of the merger with BHP’s oil and gas business in 2022, reported 2023 net profit after tax (NPAT) of $1.66 billion.
This compares to $6.5 billion in 2022.
Underlying net profit after tax reached about $3.32 billion, a drop of 37 percent compared to the year before.
Woodside previously said it achieved record full-year 2023 production of 187.2 MMboe (513 Mboe/day), at the top end of production guidance of 183 – 188 MMboe.
Woodside’s CEO Meg O’Neill said the company’s focus on “disciplined capital management has allowed us to deliver consistently strong returns to shareholders. Underlying profit was strong, enabling us to maintain an 80 percent dividend payout.”
“While realized prices were down year-on-year to levels closer to historic norms, annual sales volume topped 200 million barrels of oil equivalent (over 548 Mboe/d), generating revenue of almost $14 billion. Free cash flow of $560 million was a significant achievement in a period of major capital expenditure and normalized prices,” she said.