BP is moving away from its oil output target

Oil giant BP has retreated further from its target to cut oil output. Where does that leave the sector’s net-zero credentials?

BP Gas Station In London
(Image credit: NurPhoto / Contributor)

BP CEO Murray Auchincloss says the group has stopped bidding on new offshore wind projects in order to simplify operations and reduce costs, says Emma Powell in The Times

At the same time, BP will spend more on new oil and gas assets, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico and the US Permian basin, where it already has a large presence. The moves hint at a further retreat from the “pivot towards greener forms of energy” embarked upon by former CEO Bernard Looney, especially since the energy-transition strategy has caused “disquiet” among investors and drawn criticism from activist investor Bluebell Capital

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

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