Occidental Petroleum Reduced 2015 Capex by 33%

Occidental Bakken Acreage
Occidental Bakken Acreage

Occidental Petroleum Corporation reported during its earnings call in late January that the company sustained a fourth quarter loss of $3.4 billion.

In response to low oil prices, Occidental announced it will scale back its 2015 capital spending by 33 percent to $5.8 billion from $8.7 billion spent in 2014. In addition to the cuts, the company will also be reducing its activity in the Bakken.

This confirms the news we reported in October that the company was in the process of restructuring, and looking to sell off its Williston Basin assets. Read more here.

Stephen Chazen, President and Chief Executive Officer confirmed that the company “minimized our development activities in the Williston Basin, domestic gas properties, Bahrain, and the Joslyn oil sands project, as these have subpar returns in this current product price environment. These efforts should result in a reduction in the cost of executing our capital program, as well as reducing our operating expenses

Occidental may be moving out of the Bakken sooner than later. The Dickinson Press reported this week that the company had one rig finishing up in Dunn County and plans to move the equipment offsite within a week.

Other company highlights include a year-end 2014 cash balance of $7.8 billion, which exceeds their total debt of $6.8 billion. Additionally, the company projects that oil and gas production will grow 6 to 10 percent in 2015.

Learn more about Occidental's Bakken operation

Read more at oxy.com

Occidental's Bakken Assets on the Table

Occidental Bakken Acreage
Occidental Bakken Acreage

Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) appears to be on the verge of divesting its acreage in the Williston Basin, according to a Bloomberg report, which cited "people with knowledge of the matter."

Currently, OXY has ~500,000 gross acres (~335,000 net) in the Williston Basin, and is working with investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. to sell the assets.

The company is in the process of restructuring, and could draw as much as $3-billion from the sale of its Williston Basin assets, according to Bloomberg's sources. In October of last year, OXY announced it would pursue "stategic alternatives" for the trade or sale of select midcontinent assets.

In 2012, OXY's net Bakken production was 14 Mboe/d, and in the first half of last year, it was 17 Mboe/d. Proved reserves at the end of 2012 were 87 Mmboe.

OXY has increased its focus on production from fields in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico.