EBSCN·2025-10-19 12:19Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the oil and petrochemical sector, particularly for the "Big Three" oil companies in China [5]. Core Views - The report expresses a strong outlook on the resilience of oil prices for the "Big Three" oil companies, anticipating a recovery in natural gas consumption as the winter heating season approaches [4][9]. - The International Energy Agency (IEA) has lowered its global oil demand forecast, indicating a potential oversupply and inventory build-up risk in the oil market, which may keep oil prices under pressure in the short term [10][12]. Summary by Sections 1. Oil Price Resilience and Demand Forecast - The report highlights that geopolitical easing and demand concerns have driven oil prices down, with Brent and WTI crude oil prices reported at $61.34 and $57.25 per barrel, respectively, as of October 17, showing declines of 1.2% and 1.7% from the previous week [9][10]. - The IEA projects a modest increase in global oil demand of 700,000 barrels per day for 2025, a downward revision of 40,000 barrels per day from last month’s forecast, while global oil supply is expected to increase by 3 million barrels per day [10][12]. 2. Performance of "Big Three" Oil Companies - In the first half of 2025, the net profit declines for China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Sinopec, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) were -5.2%, -39.8%, and -12.8%, respectively, indicating that their performance is more resilient compared to international oil giants [2][12]. - The report notes that the "Big Three" are expected to enhance their production and reserves, with planned increases in oil and gas equivalent production of 1.6%, 1.5%, and 5.9% for CNPC, Sinopec, and CNOOC, respectively [2][12]. 3. Natural Gas Consumption Outlook - The report anticipates a cold winter in 2025, which is expected to boost natural gas consumption, with a gradual recovery in demand observed since Q2 2025 [3][22]. - The "Big Three" have seen a 3.2% year-on-year increase in natural gas sales in the first half of 2025, outpacing domestic demand growth, and are expected to benefit from ongoing market reforms that enhance pricing flexibility [3][29]. 4. Investment Recommendations - The report recommends focusing on the "Big Three" oil companies and their associated oil service engineering firms, as well as leading companies in refining and chemical sectors, indicating a positive long-term investment outlook [4].