British oil giant BP posts $2.3 billion in third-quarter profit, beating expectations

British oil major BP on Tuesday reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter profit.

The energy firm posted underlying replacement cost profit, used as a proxy for net profit, of $2.3 billion for the July-September period. That beat analyst expectations of $2.1 billion, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus.

BP reported net profit of $2.8 billion for the second quarter of the year and $3.3 billion for the third quarter of 2023.

Shares of London-listed BP have fallen over 14% year-to-date, underperforming its European rivals as investors continue to question the firm’s investment case.

BP’s third-quarter results come shortly after reports emerged the company scrapped its pledge to reduce oil and gas production by 2030, rolling back a core tenet of the firm’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the century — or sooner.

The move, reported by Reuters on Oct. 7, citing three unnamed sources, would be viewed as further evidence of CEO Murray Auchincloss’s plan to prioritize near-term returns from the firm’s more profitable fossil fuel operations.

BP was also said to be targeting several new investments in the Middle East and the Gulf of Mexico to boost oil and gas output, the news agency reported.

A BP spokesperson told CNBC: “As Murray said at the start of year in our fourth quarter results, the direction is the same – but we are going to deliver as a simpler, more focused, and higher value company.”

Britain’s Shell and France’s TotalEnergies are scheduled to report quarterly results on Thursday, with U.S. majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron set to follow suit on Friday.

Last week, Norwegian oil and gas producer Equinor reported a 13% drop in adjusted operating income in the July-September period, missing analyst expectations.