Great News For Investors In Big Oil -- Companies Showing Restraint -- October 26, 2018

Global warming celebration! Kennedy family plans family reunion -- will go skiing in New Hampshire -- the family notes "record early opening for New Hampshire ski resort!" I can't make this up. Okay, some of that was made up. A huge "thank you" to Don for sending me the link. From iceagenow:

Wildcat Mountain in Pinkham Notch, NH is having its earliest opening in its 61 year history,” says reader Kevin Koffenberger.  “It will open on Saturday, October 27, 2018, edging 2005’s opening by one day. ”

Ten inches of new snow Wednesday combined with ideal snowmaking conditions has allowed for the early opening.  Nearby Mt. Washington (literally across the street from the resort) reported 21.1” at the summit.

Usually Wildcat opens in early November with limited terrain.  Snowmaking requires several hours of sub 28F wet bulb temperatures at night, so it has been at least a little cool for a week or two to allow them to do this, and the outlook for that to continue (otherwise they don’t bother if it is just going to melt).

Comment: see more at the link -- especially choice words for AGW folks.

More global warming news for New England: powerful nor'easter forecast for New England this weekend. Link here. Is it just me or do most reportable weather events occur on the weekend -- after the weekly political cycle ends?

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment, financial, job, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or what you think you may have read here.

Missing the point: oil companies show restraint.

Forget "Drill, baby, drill!" The world’s biggest oil companies aren’t returning to their spendthrift ways, despite crude’s recovery.

Equinor ASA and ConocoPhillips kicked off the earnings season for the energy majors on Thursday with an emphasis on restraint despite reporting their highest profits in four years, a possible indication of what to expect from the rest of the industry.

Analysts are forecasting record cash flows for crude drillers after oil prices surged, prompting fears the industry would return to lavish spending. Morgan Stanley last week said that the 46 percent advance in international oil prices from the third quarter of 2017 will fuel the biggest profit jump since prices began to crash in 2014.

Equinor Chief Executive Officer Eldar Saetre pledged to keep a sharp focus on costs as the market recovers. His words were met by actions as the company trimmed its 2018 budget by 9.1 percent to $10 billion, even as cash flow surged.

ConocoPhillips, the largest independent explorer, disclosed results that trounced analysts’ estimates, but Chief Executive Officer Ryan Lance said on an earnings conference call it’s being "laser-focused on discipline."

Conoco raised its full-year spending estimate 1.7 percent to $6.1 billion, citing decisions outside the company’s control such as drilling partners expanding operations. The Houston-based explorer handed almost $1 billion back to shareholders, part of a $9 billion expansion of buybacks announced in July.

For 2019, Conoco expects capital spending to be roughly in line with this year’s drilling budget. Lance said that after years of cost-cutting and efficiency gains following the price crash, Conoco’s profits are back where they were in 2014, when Brent was closer to $100 a barrel. Brent traded at around $77 Thursday.