abce certificate
Friday, 21 November, 2008, 15:40 GMT | more >>

Costs hit Santos profits



By Upstream staff 

Australian producer Santos reported a lower-than-expected 7% rise in full-year profit as higher costs eroded gains from increased output and record crude prices.

Adelaide-based Santos, which saw lower production at several of its main fields in 2006, made a net profit before one-off items of A$683 million (US$540.3 million), up from A$639 million a year earlier.

The result was below the expectations of nine analysts polled by Reuters, who on average forecast a core net profit of A$765.15 million.

Full-year net profit including one-off items was A$643 million, down 16% from 2005 due to impairment adjustments and one-off expenses.

The company, which produced 61 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2006, reaffirmed its 2007 and 2008 production forecasts of between 59 million boe and 61 million boe, which had been downgraded from an earlier estimate of between 62 million boe and 63 million boe.

Santos, which has withdrawn its A$710 million cash bid for coal seam gas producer Queensland Gas Company, has been trying to diversify beyond its mature central Australian Cooper Basin assets and focus more closely on Indonesia and the region.


Wednesday, 21 February, 2007, 22:57 GMT  | last updated: Thursday, 22 February, 2007, 07:35 GMT

e-mail this article to a colleague


to email:  from:
comments: