EBSCN·2025-08-17 13:06Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the oil and gas sector [5] Core Viewpoints - The performance of major international oil companies declined in H1 2025 due to falling oil prices and low refining margins, with net profits for ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Total, and BP showing year-on-year decreases of -15.3%, -39.7%, -22.9%, -31.2%, and -31.8% respectively [1][9][10] - The IEA has revised down its global oil demand growth forecast for 2025 and 2026, primarily due to weaker-than-expected demand from emerging markets like China, India, and Brazil [3][24] - Despite the oversupply pressure on oil prices, geopolitical risks from sanctions on Russia and Iran add uncertainty to the market [3][24] Summary by Sections Section 1: Performance of Major Oil Companies - In H1 2025, the average Brent crude oil price was $70.81 per barrel, a decrease of 15.1% year-on-year, with Q2 averaging $66.71 per barrel, down 21.5% [1][10] - Refining margins for Shell, Total, and BP fell by 24.4%, 44.4%, and 26.2% respectively, indicating a challenging refining market [1][10] - Natural gas prices increased, with Henry Hub and TTF averages rising by 66.8% and 38.9% year-on-year, but major companies like Shell and BP did not achieve year-on-year growth in their gas business due to lagging contract prices and production declines [1][10] Section 2: Oil and Gas Production Growth - The total oil and gas equivalent production of the five major international oil companies grew by 2.96% year-on-year in H1 2025, with ExxonMobil achieving a 15.5% increase in crude oil production due to rapid output from the Guyana block [2][18] - Cost control measures helped mitigate some performance volatility, with ExxonMobil's upstream profit only declining by 4.5% due to effective cost management [2][21] Section 3: IEA Oil Demand Forecast - The IEA has lowered its oil demand growth forecast for 2025 by 20,000 barrels per day, now expecting an increase of 680,000 barrels per day [3][24] - The IEA anticipates that OPEC+ will increase production by 1.2 million barrels per day in 2025, contributing to a total supply increase of 2.5 million barrels per day [3][24] Section 4: Investment Recommendations - The report suggests a continued positive outlook for major Chinese oil companies and oil service sectors, as well as for chemical products in the long term [4] - Specific companies to watch include China National Petroleum Corporation, Sinopec, CNOOC, and various oil service engineering firms [4]