Archer taking aim at yield

Energy Morning - 27 February 2025

Energy Morning - 24 February 2025

Offshore spending plateauing

After reviewing major oil companies’ most recent spending plans, we estimate offshore spending growth of c3% YOY in 2025 (down from c5% late last year and c8% six months ago). We believe a combination of supply-chain bottlenecks, efficiency gains, and capital discipline among oil companies are the main reasons for spending growth fading, resulting in a mid-cycle plateau. On the flip side, the cycle keeps building duration, as we see investments being pushed into 2026–2027. Also, activity levels ...

Energy Morning - 7 February 2025

Energy Morning - 30 January 2025

Slow start to 2025 for offshore, but cycle duration highlighted

SLB said on its recent Q4 earnings call that it expects flat global upstream spending YOY in 2025, while Halliburton guided for flat group revenue. Both expect offshore activity to improve as the year progresses, based on numerous FIDs late-2025 and into 2026 – but implying a slow start to the year. These comments mirror feedback we have had from industry sources, although we are already seeing offshore drilling campaigns slipping towards the end of 2026, or even into 2027. Hence, their comments...

Crude Quarterly Q4'24: oil market stabilising

ExxonMobil update highlights efficiency, no incremental demand for oil...

From an oil services perspective, we consider the key takeaway from ExxonMobil’s corporate update to be continued high and improving capital efficiency, allowing it to do “more with less”. By 2030e, it plans to increase production by c1m barrels per day to 5.4m barrels per day on largely flat upstream capex compared to 2023–2024 levels. This implies further efficiency improvement, which we consider on the downside for the oil services industry as it implies no need for incremental service capaci...

Petrobras FPSO delays may hit service volumes but lengthen cycle

Being the largest global consumer of deepwater oil services, Petrobras’ strategic plans tend to get investor attention. On the positive side, its latest 5-year plan sees 5% higher E&P spending than the previous one, and has a more stable phasing between the years, which is supportive for the cycle duration. However, several FPSOs are facing significant delays, which is on the downside for oil services, leading to delays for deepwater oilfield services (primarily drilling and subsea), likely resu...

Archer (Buy, TP: NOK45.00) - Milestone transaction

Last week, Archer announced the acquisition of market-leading US GoM fishing tools company WFR. Thanks to this and various small deals YTD, the leverage ratio should drop from c3x at end-Q3 to c2x at end-2025, positioning Archer for refinancing next year and a lower cost of debt (current bond coupon ~15%, a hurdle for the equity case). In a refinancing scenario, we estimate the potential for a 30%+ FCF yield to equity for 2025 onwards. We reiterate our BUY and NOK45 target price.

Refinancing and dividend path is clearing

Energy Morning - 31 October 2024

Petrobras set to reduce 2025 capex

Petrobras is expected to reduce 2025 capex from USD21bn to around USD17bn, according to a Reuters article today. Petrobras has a 5-year capex plan, but there are usually changes to its plans, and “current year” / “near-term” spending has a track-record of being revised lower (2024 capex was recently cut c24% to USD13.5bn–14.5bn), as Petrobras has struggled with value-chain delays. The updated spending represents YOY growth in 2025 of c21% (versus c50% earlier). The article mentions equipment pri...

Limited excitement for oil services from TotalEnergies’ Strategy & Out...

With total capex set to be flattish through this decade (organic capex lower in the out-years), TotalEnergies’ Strategy & Outlook presentation provided limited excitement for oil services. Strong capital discipline and allocation was maintained, with targeted oil production growth (3%) on flattish capex and shareholder returns being a top priority. With several large-scale developments for the next few years already defined (oil services mostly contracted), we consider its plan supportive for cy...

Crude Quarterly Q3'24: Lower oil price

Oil inventory draws for the rest of 2024. IEA is wrong – peak demand is not imminent. Both E&P and oil service shares look highly attractive.

Steady upcycle building in duration

Our 18th annual spending survey lends support to an extended upcycle for offshore-focused oil services, with 2024–2025e offshore spending growth of 5–8%. As value chain bottlenecks (FPSO, subsea) are unfolding, we believe the foundations are in place for a longer and more stable upcycle, supported by oil companies’ discipline. In sum, service companies’ discipline and oil companies’ conservativeness are likely to extend the upcycle, avoiding past ‘boom and bust’ mentality.

Q2 a bit soft, M&A helps estimates

Archer (Buy, TP: NOK45.00) - Set for QOQ improvement in Q2

We expect a sequentially improved performance in Q2 and forecast EBITDA of USD36m, 7% above consensus. However, the timing of payments for previously announced acquisitions is likely to hit cash flow together with contract-specific capex, and we see net debt rising from USD386m to USD395m, but cash flow improving in H2 and 2025. We have raised our 2025e EBITDA by 2% to reflect recent M&A, and are 3% above consensus. The stock is one of the most attractively valued in our sector coverage, with a ...

Crude Quarterly Q2'24: tighter oil market ahead

Oil inventory draws for the rest of 2024. IEA is wrong – peak demand is not imminent. Both E&P and oil service shares look highly attractive.