LONDON: The world’s biggest oil and gas companies are slashing spending this year following a collapse in oil prices driven by a slump in demand because of the coronavirus and a price war between the top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Cuts already announced by five major oil companies including Saudi Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell come to a combined $19 billion (16 billion pounds), or a drop of 18pc from their initial spending plans of $106 billion.
Norway’s Equinor said on Wednesday it would cut capital expenditure, or capex, by some $2 billion while Chevron said on Tuesday it would slash its capex this year by $4 billion.
Others such as US giant Exxon Mobil Corp and Britain’s BP have said they will cut capital expenditure but haven’t given specific figures as yet.
Oil prices have slumped 60pc since January to below $30 a barrel. Brent crude LCOc1 was or 1.7pc at $26.70 per barrel on Wednesday as faltering fuel demand outweighed a massive pending US economic stimulus package.
Investors also say that if the current crisis is prolonged, the spending cuts announced by major oil companies may not be enough to let them maintain dividends without adding to their already elevated levels of debt.
