Oil price fall turns up the heat on Big Oil's bloated payouts

Core Insights - The five largest global oil majors are implementing cost-cutting measures, job reductions, and share buyback adjustments due to declining oil prices threatening shareholder payouts [1][2][3] Group 1: Financial Performance and Shareholder Returns - Oil majors have maintained generous payouts exceeding $100 million annually since 2022, increasingly funded by debt as energy prices have retreated from previous highs [2] - Most oil majors require oil prices above $80 per barrel to sustain current dividend and share buyback levels, which reached record highs in 2022 [3] - Brent oil prices recently fell below $65, the lowest since July, with forecasts predicting further declines to the low $60s and potentially the $50s next year [4] Group 2: Strategic Adjustments - TotalEnergies plans to reduce buybacks starting in Q4 2023 and aims to cut costs by $7.5 billion by the end of 2030 to manage debt levels [4] - BP and Chevron have already reduced their buyback programs this year, while Shell has not announced any cuts to its buyback plans [4] - More than a dozen energy companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP, have announced job cuts for 2025 and 2026 [5]