BP’s Q2 profit more than doubles to $7.36 billion after Iran war oil surge
Oil majors benefited from market volatility caused by the conflict, which disrupted energy flows.
LONDON – BP announced a more than doubling of its second-quarter profit to US$5.73 billion, surpassing expectations, as a result of higher energy prices, trading and refining margins. The surge in profits can be attributed to market volatility triggered by the US-Iran conflict, which has disrupted energy flows and tightened global supplies.
In its earnings report, BP's underlying replacement cost profit, which serves as a proxy for net income, more than doubled to US$5.11 billion and was 4 times higher than the previous year. The company plans to increase its dividend by 4% to 8.66 cents per share for the second quarter. Additionally, BP has decided to sell its US biogas business Archaea, which it acquired in 2022 for US$4.1 billion, as it redirects its focus towards oil and gas.
The company has also undergone significant cost reductions related to its renewables investments, including Archaea, its solar unit Lightsource BP, and other low-carbon ventures. BP's CEO Meg O'Neill outlined five key priorities for the company, namely strengthening the balance sheet, streamlining the portfolio, tightening investment discipline, improving operational performance, and creating structures for faster decision-making and accountability.
O'Neill admitted that the company has not yet realized its full potential, citing underperformance, excessive write-offs, and insufficient resilience in a low-price environment. Analysts at RBC expressed optimism about BP's commitment to addressing historical shortcomings and look forward to seeing clearer financial plans moving forward.
BP anticipates capital expenditure in 2026 to range between US$13.5 billion and US$14 billion, reflecting a shift in strategy away from asset disposals and towards capturing better value. Despite a decline in upstream plant reliability and production, BP's customers and products unit reported a net profit of US$4.95 billion, which exceeded average analyst estimates.
Brent crude prices averaged US$97 a barrel during the second quarter, whereas European gas prices reached €46 per megawatt-hour.
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