BP plunges deep into red on pullout from Russia - CNA

LONDON: British energy giant BP said Tuesday (May 3) that its decision to pull out of Russia as a result of the war in Ukraine pushed it deep into the red in the first three months of this year.

BP said in a statement it booked net loss of US$20.4 billion (€19.4 billion) in the period from January to March compared with a bottom-line profit of $4.7 billion a year earlier.

The huge loss was attributable to the group's decision in February to pull its 19.75 per cent stake in energy group Rosneft, ending more than three decades of investment in Russia, BP said.

"Our decision ... to exit our shareholding in Rosneft resulted in the material non-cash charges and headline loss," BP chief executive Bernard Looney said in a statement.

BP said the charges connected to the break with Rosneft amounted to $25.5 billion before tax.

That wiped out the positive effect of rising energy prices, driven by concerns of tight supplies following the invasion by major oil and gas producer Russia, the group said.

First-quarter revenues jumped by 40 per cent to $51 billion.

"In a quarter dominated by the tragic events in Ukraine and volatility in energy markets, BP's focus has been on supplying the reliable energy our customers need," Looney said.

Later on Tuesday, the European Commission will propose to member states a new package of sanctions against Russia over President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, including an embargo on Russian oil, officials said.

Already on Monday, the EU had warned member states to prepare for a possible complete breakdown in gas supplies from Russia, insisting it would not cede to Moscow's demand that imports be paid for in rubles.

Despite the massive first-quarter loss, BP's share price jumped by 1.9 per cent to 399 pence in early trading on London's FTSE 100 index, which was down overall.

CMC Markets UK analyst, Michael Hewson, attributed the share's strong performance to an announcement that BP will buy back another $2.5 billion in shares, and further reduce its net debt.

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2022-05-03 08:22:01Z
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