MOSCOW (MRC) -- Chevron has projected USD10 billion-worth of asset sales in the next three years with capital expenditure also to drop, said Upstreamonline.
The California-based supermajor also sees lower 2017 production than previously expected, albeit basing its new estimate on a significantly higher oil price than previously thought. Chevron said proceeds from asset divestments from 2014 to 2016 are projected to hit USD10 billion.
This compares with USD7 billion taken between 2011 and 2013, with just over USD2 billion of that coming from the upstream sector. More than 80% of this USD10 billion is set to involve upstream asset sales, as Chevron nears the end of the rationalisation of its downstream portfolio.
The net production outlook for 2017 is now 3.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day from a previous outlook given in 2013 of 3.3 million boepd.
Chevron pointed to project delays as part reason for the drop in expected output, highlighting issues at the Chuandongbei sour gas development in China. Upstream reported in November that production-sharing partner PetroChina urged the US supermajor to put its efforts into completing the project's first phase before tending to the second phase.
The Chevron-led Tengizchevroil (TCO) venture developing the Tengiz field in western Kazakhstan is also subject to project slippage, it said.
Although the company will spend more this year than last year on upstream projects, it will spend nothing on business development and about the same on downstream and chemicals. The projected total spend for 2015-2016 is about the same as 2014. Chevron will spend less on liquefied natural gas and US gas plays, but unconventional plays will receive more cash.
Both North America and the Asia-Pacific region will receive 34% of the capex total, with 17% set aside for Africa-Latin America and 15% earmarked for Europe, Eurasia and Middle East.
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States, and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining, marketing and transport; chemicals manufacturing and sales; and power generation. Chevron is one of the world's six "supermajor" oil companies.