News wire — ConocoPhillips unveiled its 10-year plan on Tuesday and said it would target free cash flow of about $50 billion with annual capital expenditures averaging less than $7 billion over the next decade.
The Houston-based company’s shares rose more than a percent before the bell.
The largest U.S. independent crude producer said it expects to spend about $20 billion on dividends and $30 billion in share buybacks in 10 years.
The announcement comes as investors, frustrated by weak commodity prices for 5 years, have been pressuring oil and gas companies to cut back on drilling and shore up cash to return to shareholders.
The company also forecast annual production growth averaging more than 3% from 2020 to 2029.
ConocoPhillips, which has been divesting assets to focus on its U.S. shale base, had in October posted a quarterly profit that beat analysts’ estimates, primarily as higher shale production offset lower crude prices and higher exploration costs.
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- Reuters
