Occidental Petroleum Corporation announced net income of $1.846 billion ($2.23 per diluted share) for the first quarter of 2008, compared with $1.212 billion ($1.43 per diluted share) for the first quarter of 2007.
Core results for the first quarter of 2008 were $1.819 billion ($2.20 per diluted share), compared with $788 million ($0.93 per diluted share) for the first quarter of 2007.
In announcing the results, Dr. Ray R. Irani, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our net income for the first quarter of 2008 set a new company record, driven by an 8.4-percent increase in production over last year's first quarter, as well as improved oil and gas prices. These results continue our momentum from 2007, the most successful year in Oxy's history, and provide a strong start to propel us into the remainder of 2008."
Oil and Gas
Oil and gas segment earnings were $2.888 billion for the first quarter of 2008, compared with $1.883 billion for the same period in 2007. Oil and gas core results for the first quarter of 2007 were $1.362 billion, after excluding a $412 million gain from the sale of Occidental's Russian joint venture and $109 million gain from the resolution of certain legal disputes. The $1.5 billion increase in the first quarter 2008 core results reflected $1.6 billion of increases from record crude oil and higher natural gas prices, production from the Dolphin project coming on line in the second half of 2007, partially offset by increased DD&A rates and higher operating expenses.
For the first quarter of 2008, daily oil and gas production averaged 607,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), compared with 560,000 BOE per day produced in the first quarter of 2007. The bulk of the production increase was the result of 55,000 BOE per day from the Dolphin project, which began production in the third quarter of 2007, partially offset by lower volumes from our production sharing contracts due to higher prices.
Oxy's realized price for worldwide crude oil was $86.75 per barrel for the first quarter of 2008, compared with $51.67 per barrel for the first quarter of 2007. Domestic realized gas prices increased from $6.38 per MCF in the first quarter of 2007 to $8.15 per MCF for the first quarter of 2008.
Chemicals
Chemical segment earnings for the first quarter of 2008 were $179 million, compared with $137 million for the same period in 2007. The first quarter of 2008 results reflect higher margins for caustic soda.
Midstream, Marketing and Other
Occidental's midstream, marketing and other segment gathers, processes, transports, stores, and markets crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and CO2. The transportation and storage systems primarily serve operations from New Mexico across the Permian Basin to Cushing, Oklahoma. Occidental's 24.5-percent equity interest in the Dolphin pipeline project is also included in this segment. Additionally, this segment also generates electricity at facilities in Texas, Louisiana and California.
Midstream segment preliminary earnings were approximately $123 million for the first quarter of 2008, compared with approximately $119 million for the first quarter of 2007. Prior period oil and gas segment earnings have been revised to remove these midstream results.