Eni: full year 2020 and fourth quarter results

Having examined the results, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said:

“In a year like no other in the history of the energy industry, Eni has proven the robustness and flexibility of its business model by reacting swiftly and effectively to the extraordinary crisis context, while progressing the Company’s irreversible path for the energy transition. In the space of a few months after the outbreak of the pandemic we reduced capital spending and limited the impact of the sharp drop in crude oil prices on the cash flow, strengthening our liquidity and preserving the robustness of our balance sheet. The fourth quarter operating profit and net profit outperformed estimates, achieved through a 44 $/barrel oil price, underpinned by our operating cash generation and the effectiveness of our response to the crisis. The upstream business is strengthening its recovery, while our businesses in the production and sale of decarbonized products achieved excellent results in the year, driven by a 17% Ebit increase from Eni Gas e Luce, a 130% increase in bio-refining processing and 1 GW of new solar and wind generation capacity already installed or sanctioned. We laid foundations for strong growth in renewables by entering two strategic markets, the US and the Dogger Bank wind project in the UK’s North Sea offshore wind market, which will be the largest in the world in the sector. Through leveraging the actions we put in place, our 2020 adjusted cash flow of €6.7 billion was able to finance our capex, with a surplus of €1.7 billion. Net borrowings (before IFRS 16) are at the same level as at the end of 2019, and leverage is at around 30%”.

• Implementation Eni’s strategy to become a leader in the supply of decarbonized products by 2050 combining value creation, sustainability and financial resilience, and to achieve a better-balanced portfolio, reducing the exposure to the volatility of hydrocarbons prices. For these purposes Eni created a new organizational setup in line with the transformative strategy by establishing two business groups: the Natural Resources business which has the task of valorizing the oil&gas portfolio in a sustainable way and of managing the projects of forestry conservation (REDD+) and CO₂ capture; and the Energy Evolution business which has the task of growing the businesses of power generation, products manufacturing and retail marketing, progressing the portfolio evolution by expanding the generation of green power and developing sustainable products from decarbonized processes (blue) and from bio masses (bio).
• The trading environment in 2020 saw the largest drop in oil demand in history (down by an estimated 9% y-o-y) driven by the lockdown measures implemented globally to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic causing a material hit to economic activity, international commerce and travel.
• The pandemic-induced demand shock led to a collapse in the prices and margins of commodities: the Brent crude oil benchmark was down by 35% y-o-y, the benchmark price of natural gas at the Italian spot market was down by 35% and the Eni benchmark refining margin “SERM” was down by 60%, which materially and adversely affected the Group results of operations and cash flow.
• To cope with the fallouts of the crisis, management took decisive actions to preserve the Company’s liquidity and to strengthen the balance sheet, while aiming to increase the profitability of operations and the financial resiliency. The Company is set to resume growing once the macro backdrop normalizes.
• Revised the Company’s strategy and plans for the short-to-medium term leveraging on a reduction of €8 billion in the outlays for expenses and capital expenditures in the two-year period 2020-2021, more exposed to the downturn. Additional financial resources of approximately €0.8 billion are expected to be allocated in the post-crisis years to the expansion of the green businesses, including the installed capacity of renewable power, bio-refineries and growth in the retail market.
• Capex optimizations achieved mainly in the E&P business by means of re-phasing development projects, which could be resumed once the scenario normalizes. Reshaped the growth profile of production.
• Assumed a more conservative oil price scenario with a long-term deck of 60 $/barrel for the Brent crude oil benchmark in real terms 2023, down from the previous assumptions of 70 $/barrel, to factor in risks of a delayed macroeconomic recovery, with the potential for weaker energy demands for a sustained period and growing expectations that the aftermath of the pandemic will accelerate the pace of the energy transition considering the fiscal measures being enacted by governments to rebuild the economy on more sustainable grounds. Recognized impairment losses at non-current assets of approximately €3.2 billion, driven by the revised long-term oil and gas price outlook and lower refining margins. In addition €1.3 billion of impairment losses were accounted by Eni’s investees.
• Issued hybrid bonds for a total amount of €3 billion.
• The segment information of the Group statutory financial reporting has been upgraded by disclosing the results of the new operating segment “Eni gas e luce, Power & Renewables”.

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• Hydrocarbon production for the FY 2020: 1.73 mmboe/d, in line with the Company’s guidance updated following the pandemic.
• Added 400 million boe of new equity exploration resources at a competitive unit cost of 1.6 $/boe.
• Proved hydrocarbon reserves at year end: 6.9 billion boe, all sources replacement ratio: 43%; (96% on a three-year average).
• Adjusted EBIT: €1.9 billion in the full year (€0.5 billion in the fourth quarter) decreased by approximately €6.7 billion, €6.8 billion of which was due to the decline in prices and margins of hydrocarbons and €1 billion due to the effects of COVID-19, partially offset by a better performance for €1.1 billion.
• Adjusted EBIT Exploration & Production segment: €1.5 billion in the year (€0.8 billion in the fourth quarter), lower y-o-y due to a depressed scenario in hydrocarbon prices and lower production.
• Adjusted EBIT in the mid-downstream businesses: totaling €0.63 billion; GGP reported €0.33 billion came in higher than the guidance. R&M (including the pro-forma ADNOC Refining result), the Chemicals business, EGL and Power reported results of €0.3 billion in line with guidance, supported by the growth of biofuels and a better performance in the retail gas&power business.
• Adjusted net profit: €66 million in the quarter. For the full year the adjusted net result was a loss of €0.74 billion.
• In 2020, net organic capital expenditures were lowered to €5 billion (down by €2.6 billion or 35% vs. the original budget at constant exchange rates) due to the optimizations implemented. Opex were reduced by €1.9 billion compared to the pre-COVID level, of which about 30% is structural.
• FY cash flow adjusted before working capital at €6.73 billion was enough to fund the net capex, with a surplus of €1.7 billion.
• Compared to the initial guidance for the cash flow adjusted of €11.5 billion at a Brent price of 60 $/barrel, the shortfall is due to lower hydrocarbon prices (for a total effect of approximately -€4.5 billion) and COVID-19 impact (approximately -€1.7 billion), partly offset by opex savings and a better performance.
• Year-end leverage: 0.31.
• Liquidity: Eni is well equipped to withstand an uncertain trading environment in 2021. As at December 31, 2020, the Company can count on a liquidity reserve of approximately €20.4 billion, consisting of €9.4 billion of cash and cash equivalents, €5.5 billion of readily disposable securities, €0.2 billion of short-term financing receivables and €5.3 billion of committed undrawn credit facilities.
• Confirmed 2020 dividend proposal^[1] equal to the floor dividend of €0.36 per share (of which, €0.12 paid as interim dividend in September 2020).

The Group financial outlook, its business prospects and the key industrial and profitability targets in the short, medium and long term will be disclosed during the Strategy Presentation which will be held later today. A press release illustrating the Group’s strategy has been issued today and disseminated through the Company’s website (eni.com) and other public means as required by applicable listing standards.

^{[1] The Board of Directors intends to submit a proposal for distributing a dividend of €0.36 per share (€0.86 in 2019) at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting convened for May 12, 2021. Included in this annual payment is €0.12 per share paid as interim dividend in September 2020. The balance of €0.24 per share is payable to shareholders on May 26, 2021, the ex-dividend date being May 24, 2021.}

The full version of the Press Release is available in PDF format.