Cash Flow Statement
Quarterly Data
The cash flow statement provides information about a company cash receipts and cash payments during an accounting period, showing how these cash flows link the ending cash balance to the beginning balance shown on the company balance sheet.
The cash flow statement consists of three parts: cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities, and cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities.
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2017-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2016-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2016-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2015-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2015-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2014-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2014-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2014-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2014-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2013-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2013-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2013-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2013-03-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2012-12-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2012-09-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2012-06-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2012-03-31).
The financial data indicates a significant transition in operational profitability and cash flow stability between 2012 and 2017. While the company maintained positive net income and robust operating cash flows through 2013, a period of extreme volatility and sustained net losses emerged starting in 2014, peaking in 2015.
- Operating Performance and Profitability
- A stark divergence is observed between net income and net cash provided by operating activities. Net income shifted from a positive trend in 2012 to a pattern of substantial quarterly losses beginning in 2014. Notably, severe losses occurred in the first quarter of 2015 and the second half of 2015. However, operating cash flow remained positive for most quarters, supported by significant non-cash adjustments, specifically depreciation, depletion, and amortization, which consistently averaged approximately 1 billion US dollars per quarter.
- Asset Impairments and Non-Recurring Charges
- The period between 2014 and 2016 was characterized by heavy impairment charges and dry hole expenses. A critical peak occurred in March 2015, where impairments reached 2.78 billion US dollars and dry hole expenses totaled 1.01 billion US dollars. These charges, combined with a 5.21 billion US dollar Tronox-related contingent liability adjustment in the same period, created extreme volatility in the reconciliation of net income to operating cash flow.
- Investing Activities and Capital Expenditure
- Capital expenditures, represented by additions to properties and equipment, remained a consistent and heavy cash outflow, generally ranging from 850 million to 2.6 billion US dollars per quarter. To offset these investments, the company engaged in periodic divestitures of properties and equipment. Significant liquidity injections from asset sales were observed in March 2014 (3.26 billion US dollars) and March 2017 (2.85 billion US dollars), indicating a strategic reliance on asset liquidation to fund continued exploration and development.
- Financing and Liquidity Strategy
- Financing activities shifted toward aggressive capital raising to sustain operations during periods of negative net income. Large borrowings were recorded in March 2015 (4.58 billion US dollars) and March 2016 (4.68 billion US dollars). Additionally, a substantial issuance of common stock totaling 2.16 billion US dollars occurred in September 2016. This reliance on external funding is further evidenced by a drastic reduction in dividend payments, which dropped from approximately 138 million US dollars per quarter in 2014 to approximately 27 million US dollars per quarter by 2016.
- Working Capital and Cash Position
- Net changes in cash and cash equivalents exhibited extreme fluctuations. The company experienced a massive cash outflow in the first quarter of 2015 (5.06 billion US dollars), primarily driven by the intersection of operating losses and the settlement of contingent liabilities. Subsequent quarters show a pattern of erratic cash swings, often corrected by large-scale financing activities or divestitures.
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