Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) reported a 17% increase in quarterly net income to 119.8 billion rupees ($1.4 billion), surpassing analysts' estimates of 98.96 billion rupees, despite reduced production and weak crude prices. The strong performance was driven by doubling of non-core income to 47.66 billion rupees and lower expenses.
ONGC’s earnings on crude sales fell 7.7% to $78.33 per barrel, while gas profits remained unchanged due to government-set prices. The company’s oil production was almost flat, with a 4.6% growth, and gas output dropped 2.1%.
Demand concerns have impacted oil producers globally, yet ONGC, focusing on the domestic market, faces pressure from the Indian government to increase output and reduce oil imports. The company’s higher earnings will support its 350 billion rupee annual capital expenditure plan to fund ambitious exploration initiatives. Quarterly revenue dropped 3.6% to 338.8 billion rupees.
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