Xin Hua Cai Jing·2025-08-11 10:56Core Viewpoint - The global oil industry is facing significant profitability challenges due to declining oil prices, with major oil companies reporting substantial decreases in revenue and net profit for the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year [1][3]. Group 1: Oil Price Trends - WTI crude oil futures averaged $67.52 per barrel in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year decline of 14.33%, while Brent averaged $70.81 per barrel, down 15.11% [1]. - Global crude oil inventories are expected to continue increasing, with an average daily growth of approximately 1.2 million barrels in the first half of 2025, maintaining a growth trend of 900,000 barrels per day in the second half [6]. Group 2: Financial Performance of Major Oil Companies - The combined adjusted profit of six major international oil companies, including Saudi Aramco, BP, Shell, Chevron, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil, was approximately $93.874 billion in the first half of 2025, a decrease of 17.2% from $113.38 billion in the same period of 2024 [1][2]. - Saudi Aramco reported a revenue of $223.135 billion, down 7.9%, and an adjusted net profit of $50.868 billion, down 10% [2][3]. - Other companies experienced even larger declines, with Chevron's adjusted net profit falling by 32% and BP's net profit dropping from $5.379 billion to $3.734 billion [3]. Group 3: Challenges and Strategic Responses - The oil companies are grappling with a "volume increase, price drop" dilemma, where rising transaction volumes only partially offset the impact of falling oil prices [3]. - Companies are increasingly focusing on energy transition and diversification to mitigate the risks associated with oil price volatility. For instance, Saudi Aramco is expanding its natural gas production and trade [7]. - Despite these efforts, companies face challenges in their transition strategies due to external environmental changes and internal strategic misjudgments, as seen with Shell's reduction in renewable energy investments and TotalEnergies' scaling back of solar energy goals [8]. Group 4: Future Outlook - The outlook for oil prices remains pressured, with major energy agencies predicting a continued oversupply in the global oil market through 2026, leading to sustained downward pressure on prices [5][6]. - Long-term strategies for achieving carbon neutrality are being set by companies, with China Petroleum aiming for a significant reduction in carbon emissions by 2040 and a balanced approach between oil, gas, and new energy by 2050 [8].