SHELL PLC FIRST QUARTER 2023 UNAUDITED RESULTS
By:
Shell plc via
GlobeNewswire
May 04, 2023 at 02:00 AM EDT
1.Q1 on Q4 change Quarter Analysis1 Income attributable to Shell plc shareholders, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, mainly reflected unfavourable tax movements, and lower realised oil and gas prices, partly offset by lower operating expenses and higher Chemicals and Products trading and optimisation results. First quarter 2023 income attributable to Shell plc shareholders also included impairment charges of $0.5 billion. These charges are included in identified items amounting to a net loss of $0.5 billion in the quarter. This compares with identified items in the fourth quarter 2022 which amounted to a net gain of $1.5 billion. Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA2 were driven by the same factors as income attributable to Shell plc shareholders and adjusted for the above identified items and the cost of supplies adjustment of positive $0.5 billion. Cash flow from operating activities for the first quarter 2023 was $14.2 billion, and included a working capital outflow of $0.8 billion, and tax payments of $3.1 billion. The working capital outflow mainly reflected the reversal of temporary deposits from joint ventures received in the fourth quarter 2022, and other accounts receivable and payable movements, partly offset by initial margins inflows, and lower prices and inventories. Net debt and Gearing: At the end of the first quarter 2023, net debt was $44.2 billion, compared with $44.8 billion at the end of the fourth quarter 2022. Gearing was 18.4% at the end of the first quarter 2023, compared with 18.9% at the end of the fourth quarter 2022, driven by net debt reduction and higher equity. Shareholder distributions Total shareholder distributions in the quarter amounted to $6.3 billion. Dividends declared to Shell plc shareholders for the first quarter 2023 amount to $0.2875 per share. Shell has now completed the $4 billion of share buybacks announced in
the fourth quarter 2022 results announcement. Today, Shell announces a share buyback programme of $4 billion which is expected to be completed by the second quarter 2023 results announcement. This announcement, together with supplementary financial and operational disclosure for this quarter, is available at www.shell.com/investors3.
FIRST QUARTER 2023 PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENTS Upstream In February 2023, we completed the previously announced sale of our 100% interest in Shell Onshore Ventures LLC which holds a 51.8% membership interest in Aera Energy LLC, based in the USA, to IKAV. In February 2023, we announced the commencement of production at the Shell-operated Vito floating production facility in the US Gulf of Mexico, owned by Shell Offshore Inc. (63.1%) and Equinor (36.9%). In March 2023, we announced the completion of the withdrawal from our 50% interest in the Salym project in Russia, which had been jointly developed with Gazprom Neft, a subsidiary of Gazprom. In March 2023, we completed the previously announced sale of our stake in two offshore production-sharing contracts in Malaysia's Baram Delta to Petroleum Sarawak Exploration & Production Sdn. Bhd. In April 2023, we completed the restart of operations at the Pierce field in the UK North Sea after a major redevelopment to enable gas production, after years of the field producing only oil. Pierce is a joint arrangement between Shell (92.52%) and Ithaca Energy (UK) Limited (7.48%). In February 2023, we completed the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Nature Energy Biogas A/S, based in Denmark. Page 2
PERFORMANCE BY SEGMENT
1.Q1 on Q4 change Integrated Gas includes liquefied natural gas (LNG), conversion of natural gas into gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuels and other products. It includes natural gas and liquids exploration and extraction, and the operation of the upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver these to market. Integrated Gas also includes the marketing, trading and optimisation of LNG, including LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles. Quarter Analysis1 Segment earnings, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, reflected the effect of lower realised prices (decrease of $597 million), and unfavourable deferred tax movements (decrease of $370 million), partly offset by higher volumes (increase of $175 million), and lower operating expenses (decrease of $105 million). First quarter 2023 segment earnings also included unfavourable movements of $2,188 million due to the fair value accounting of commodity derivatives and impairment charges of $262 million in Australia. As part of Shell's normal business, commodity derivative hedge contracts are entered into for mitigation of economic exposures on future purchases and sales. As these commodity derivatives are measured at fair value, this creates an accounting mismatch over periods. These unfavourable movements and impairment charges are part of identified items and compare with the fourth quarter 2022 which included unfavourable movements of $708 million due to the fair value accounting of commodity derivatives. Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA2 were driven by the same factors as the segment earnings and adjusted for identified items. Cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was primarily driven by Adjusted EBITDA, and working capital inflows of $2,121 million, partly offset by net cash outflows related to derivatives of $2,417 million, and tax payments of $884 million. Total oil and gas production, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, increased by 6% mainly due to lower maintenance at Prelude, and the ramp-up of new fields, partly offset by higher fields decline. LNG liquefaction volumes increased by 6% mainly due to lower maintenance at Prelude.
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1.Q1 on Q4 change Quarter Analysis1 Segment earnings, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, mainly reflected lower prices (decrease of $188 million), timing of liftings (decrease of $305 million), and favourable tax movements in the fourth quarter 2022 (decrease of $543 million), partly offset by lower operating expenses (decrease of $286 million), lower exploration expenses and well write-offs (decrease of $148 million) and lower depreciation (decrease of $105 million). Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA2 were driven by the same factors as the segment earnings and adjusted for identified items. Cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was primarily driven by Adjusted EBITDA, partly offset by tax payments of $2,019 million, the timing impact of dividends from joint ventures and associates of $514 million, and working capital outflows of $475 million. Total production, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, increased mainly due to lower scheduled maintenance and lower unscheduled deferment, partly offset by divestments.
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The Marketing segment comprises the Mobility, Lubricants, and Sectors & Decarbonisation businesses. The Mobility business operates Shell’s retail network including electric vehicle charging services. The Lubricants business produces, markets and sells lubricants for road transport, and machinery used in manufacturing, mining, power generation, agriculture and construction. The Sectors & Decarbonisation business sells fuels, speciality products and services including low-carbon energy solutions to a broad range of commercial customers including the aviation, marine, commercial road transport and agricultural sectors. Quarter Analysis1 Segment earnings, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, reflected higher Marketing margins (increase of $330 million) mainly driven by the Lubricants and Sectors & Decarbonisation businesses, partly offset by seasonal impacts in Mobility. The first quarter 2023 also included lower operating expenses (decrease of $166 million). First quarter 2023 segment earnings also included a gain of $210 million related to one-off indirect tax credits. This gain is part of identified items, and compares with the fourth quarter 2022 which included impairment charges of $85 million. Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA2 were driven by the same factors as the segment earnings and adjusted for identified items. Cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was primarily driven by Adjusted EBITDA, partly offset by working capital outflows of $355 million, and non-cash cost-of-sales (CCS) adjustments of $156 million. Marketing sales volumes (comprising hydrocarbon sales), compared with the fourth quarter 2022, decreased mainly due to seasonal effects.
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The Chemicals and Products segment includes chemicals manufacturing plants with their own marketing network, and refineries which turn crude oil and other feedstocks into a range of oil products which are moved and marketed around the world for domestic, industrial and transport use. The segment also includes the Pipeline business, Trading of crude oil, oil products and petrochemicals, and Oil Sands activities (the extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands and its conversion into synthetic crude oil). Quarter Analysis1 Segment earnings, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, reflected higher Products margins (increase of $492 million) mainly driven by higher contributions from trading and optimisation partly offset by lower refining margins. Segment earnings also reflected higher Chemicals margins (increase of $378 million) due to lower feedstock and utility costs. In addition, the first quarter reflected lower operating expenses (decrease of $289 million) including phasing effects. First quarter 2023 segment earnings also included favourable movements of $134 million due to the fair value accounting of commodity derivatives, and impairment charges of $72 million. These gains and losses are part of identified items, and compare with the fourth quarter 2022 which included unfavourable movements of $214 million due to the fair value accounting of commodity derivatives, legal provisions of $86 million, impairment charges of $84 million and tax charges relating to the EU solidarity contribution of $74 million. Cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was primarily driven by Adjusted EBITDA, and cash inflows relating to commodity derivatives of $813 million, partly offset by working capital outflows of $804 million, non-cash cost-of-sales (CCS) adjustments of $504 million, and tax payments of $150 million. Chemicals manufacturing plant utilisation was 71% compared with 75% in the fourth quarter 2022, due to economic optimisation and the slower than expected ramp-up of Shell Polymers Monaca. Refinery utilisation was 91% compared with 90% in the fourth quarter 2022.
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Renewables and Energy Solutions includes renewable power generation, the marketing and trading and optimisation of power and pipeline gas, as well as carbon credits, and digitally enabled customer solutions. It also includes the production and marketing of hydrogen, development of commercial carbon capture and storage hubs, investment in nature-based projects that avoid or reduce carbon emissions, and Shell Ventures, which invests in companies that work to accelerate the energy and mobility transformation. Quarter Analysis1 Segment earnings, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, reflected lower operating expenses, partly offset by lower net trading and optimisation results due to continued price volatility primarily in European markets, and higher taxes. Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted EBITDA2 were driven by the same factors as the segment earnings and adjusted for identified items. Cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was primarily driven by Adjusted EBITDA, and working capital inflows of $546 million, partly offset by net cash outflows related to derivatives of $143 million.
Additional Growth Measures
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The Corporate segment covers the non-operating activities supporting Shell, comprising Shell’s holdings and treasury organisation, its self-insurance activities and its headquarters and central functions. All finance expense and income and related taxes are included in Corporate segment earnings rather than in the earnings of business segments. Quarter Analysis1 Segment earnings, compared with the fourth quarter 2022, were impacted by one-off tax charges, unfavourable movements in net interest expense and currency exchange rate effects.
OUTLOOK FOR THE SECOND QUARTER 2023 Cash capital expenditure is expected to be within the $23 - 27 billion range for the full year. Integrated Gas production is expected to be approximately 920 - 980 thousand boe/d. LNG liquefaction volumes are expected to be approximately 6.8 - 7.4 million tonnes. Upstream production is expected to be approximately 1,600 - 1,800 thousand boe/d. Marketing sales volumes are expected to be approximately 2,350 - 2,850 thousand b/d. Refinery utilisation is expected to be approximately 85% - 93%. Chemicals manufacturing plant utilisation is expected to be approximately 62% - 70%, reflecting ongoing economic optimisation due to the continuing low-margin environment and a slower than expected ramp-up of Shell Polymers Monaca. Corporate Adjusted Earnings are expected to be a net expense of approximately $400 - $600 million in the second quarter 2023 and a net expense of approximately $2,200 - $2,600 million for the full year 2023. This excludes the impact of currency exchange rate effects. FORTHCOMING EVENTS The Annual General Meeting is scheduled on May 23, 2023. The “Capital Markets Day 2023” event is scheduled on June 14, 2023. Second quarter 2023 and half year results and dividends are scheduled to be announced on July 27, 2023. Third quarter 2023 results and dividends are scheduled to be announced on November 2, 2023. Page 8
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. See Note 2 “Segment information”.
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1.See Note 7 “Other notes to the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements”. Page 12
NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 1. Basis of preparation These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements (“Interim Statements”) of Shell plc (“the Company”) and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “Shell”) have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") and on the basis of the same accounting principles as those used in the Company's Annual Report and Accounts (pages 237 to 307) for the year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales and the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (the Netherlands) and Form 20-F (pages 216 to 287) for the year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and should be read in conjunction with these filings. The financial information presented in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements does not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434(3) of the Companies Act 2006 (“the Act”). Statutory accounts for the year ended December 31, 2022 were published in Shell's Annual Report and Accounts, a copy of which was delivered to the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, and in Shell's Form 20-F. The auditor’s report on those accounts was unqualified, did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditor drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying the report and did not contain a statement under sections 498(2) or 498(3) of the Act. On consolidation, assets and liabilities of non-dollar entities are translated to dollars at period-end rates of exchange, while their statements of income, other comprehensive income and cash flows are translated at average rates. Until the end of 2022 this translation was performed at quarterly average rates. As from January 1, 2023 this translation is performed at monthly average rates. This change had no significant impact on Shell's financial reporting. New standards adopted in 2023 IFRS 17 Insurance contracts (IFRS 17) as issued in 2017, with amendments published in 2020 and 2021, was adopted as from January 1, 2023. The adoption of IFRS 17 had no significant effect on Shell's financial reporting. Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction (Amendments to IAS 12 Income taxes (IAS 12)), published in May 2021, was adopted as from January 1, 2023. The adoption of these amendments had no significant effect on Shell's financial reporting. Key accounting considerations, significant judgements and estimates Future long-term commodity price assumptions and management’s view on the future development of refining margins represent a significant estimate. Future long-term commodity price assumptions were subject to change in the second quarter 2022. These assumptions continue to apply for impairment testing purposes in the first quarter 2023. 2. Segment information Segment earnings are presented on a current cost of supplies basis (CCS earnings), which is the earnings measure used by the Chief Executive Officer for the purposes of making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance. On this basis, the purchase price of volumes sold during the period is based on the current cost of supplies during the same period after making allowance for the tax effect. CCS earnings therefore exclude the effect of changes in the oil price on inventory carrying amounts. Sales between segments are based on prices generally equivalent to commercially available prices. Page 13
1.Includes revenue from sources other than from contracts with customers, which mainly comprises the impact of fair value accounting of commodity derivatives. First quarter 2023 included income of $4,809 million (Q4 2022: $10,371 million income; Q1 2022: $1,700 million loss). This amount includes both the reversal of prior gains of $1,369 million (Q4 2022: $621 million losses; Q1 2022: $2,867 million losses) related to sales contracts and prior losses of $772 million (Q4 2022: $1,032 million losses; Q1 2022: $2,137 million gains) related to purchase contracts that were previously recognised and where physical settlement took place in the first quarter 2023.
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3. Earnings per share
4. Share capital
1.Share capital at December 31, 2022, also included 50,000 issued and fully paid sterling deferred shares of £1 each, which were redeemed on March 27, 2023. Upon redemption, the sterling deferred shares were treated as cancelled and the Company's issued share capital was reduced by the nominal value of the shares redeemed in accordance with section 688 of the UK Companies Act 2006. At Shell plc’s Annual General Meeting on May 24, 2022, the Board was authorised to allot ordinary shares in Shell plc, and to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert, any security into ordinary shares in Shell plc, up to an aggregate nominal amount of €177 million (representing 2,530 million ordinary shares of €0.07 each), and to list such shares or rights on any stock exchange. This authority expires at the earlier of the close of business on August 24, 2023, and the end of the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2023, unless previously renewed, revoked or varied by Shell plc in a general meeting. Page 15
5. Other reserves
The merger reserve and share premium reserve were established as a consequence of Shell plc (formerly Royal Dutch Shell plc) becoming the single parent company of Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and The “Shell” Transport and Trading Company, p.l.c., now The Shell Transport and Trading Company Limited, in 2005. The merger reserve increased in 2016 following the issuance of shares for the acquisition of BG Group plc. The capital redemption reserve was established in connection with repurchases of shares of Shell plc. The share plan reserve is in respect of equity-settled share-based compensation plans. 6. Derivative financial instruments and debt excluding lease liabilities As disclosed in the Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, presented in the Annual Report and Accounts and Form 20-F for that year, Shell is exposed to the risks of changes in fair value of its financial assets and liabilities. The fair values of the financial assets and liabilities are defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair values at March 31, 2023, are consistent with those used in the year ended December 31, 2022, though the carrying amounts of derivative financial instruments measured using predominantly unobservable inputs have changed since that date. The table below provides the comparison of the fair value with the carrying amount of debt excluding lease liabilities, disclosed in accordance with IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures.
1. Mainly determined from the prices quoted for these securities. Page 16
7. Other notes to the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements Consolidated Statement of Income Interest and other income
Depreciation, depletion and amortisation
Impairments in the first quarter 2023 mainly relate to an asset in Integrated Gas valued at fair value. Withdrawal from Russian oil and gas activities The withdrawal from Russian oil and gas activities in 2022 is described in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, presented in the Annual Report and Accounts and Form 20-F for that year. Salym In the first quarter 2023, the withdrawal from Shell's 50% interest in the Salym project was completed. Sakhalin-2 The carrying value of the investment of Sakhalin-2 is zero as at March 31, 2023 (December 31, 2022: zero). Goodwill
Goodwill as at March 31, 2023, includes $1,464 million goodwill recognised in the first quarter 2023, related to the acquisition of Nature Energy Biogas A/S. The accounting is provisional because of the limited period since the acquisition date and is expected to be completed in 2023. Page 17
Taxation
The presentation in the balance sheet takes into consideration the offsetting of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities within the same tax jurisdiction, where this is permitted. The overall deferred tax position in a particular tax jurisdiction determines if a deferred tax balance related to that jurisdiction is presented within deferred tax assets or deferred tax liabilities. Shell's net deferred tax position was a liability of $9,748 million at March 31, 2023 (December 31, 2022: $8,371 million). The net increase in the net deferred tax liability is mainly driven by a reduction of the deferred tax asset due to the utilisation of deferred tax. Cash flow from operating activities - Other
Cash flow from operating activities - Other for the first quarter 2023 includes $69 million of net outflows (fourth quarter 2022: $541 million net outflows; first quarter 2022: $490 million net inflows) due to the timing of payments relating to emissions and biofuel programmes in Europe and North America and $288 million in relation to reversal of currency gains on Cash and cash equivalents (fourth quarter 2022: $683 million reversal of currency gains; first quarter 2022: $96 million reversal of currency losses). In the first quarter 2022, it also included $1,126 million for the write-down of the Nord Stream 2 loan. Page 18
ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE (NON-GAAP) MEASURES A.Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (“Adjusted EBITDA”) The “Adjusted Earnings” measure aims to facilitate a comparative understanding of Shell’s financial performance from period to period by removing the effects of oil price changes on inventory carrying amounts and removing the effects of identified items. These items are in some cases driven by external factors and may, either individually or collectively, hinder the comparative understanding of Shell’s financial results from period to period. This measure excludes earnings attributable to non-controlling interest. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as “Income/(loss) for the period” adjusted for current cost of supplies; identified items; tax charge/(credit); depreciation, amortisation and depletion; exploration well write-offs and net interest expense. All items include the non-controlling interest component. Management uses this measure to evaluate Shell's performance in the period and over time. The reconciliation of Adjusted Earnings at segment level to Adjusted EBITDA at segment level is presented in the 'Quarterly Databook' published at www.shell.com/investors/results-and-reporting/quarterly-results.html.
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Identified items Identified items comprise: divestment gains and losses, impairments, redundancy and restructuring, provisions for onerous contracts, fair value accounting of commodity derivatives and certain gas contracts and the impact of exchange rate movements on certain deferred tax balances, and other items. Identified items in the table below are presented on a net basis.
The identified items categories above may include after-tax impacts of identified items of joint ventures and associates which are fully reported within "Share of profit of joint ventures and associates" in the Consolidated Statement of Income, and fully reported as identified items included in Income/(loss) before taxation in the table above. Identified items related to subsidiaries are consolidated and reported across appropriate lines of the Consolidated Statement of Income. Only pre-tax identified items reported by subsidiaries are taken into account in the calculation of underlying operating expenses (Reference F). Provisions for onerous contracts: Provisions for onerous contracts that relate to businesses that Shell has exited or to redundant assets or assets that cannot be used. Fair value accounting of commodity derivatives and certain gas contracts: In the ordinary course of business, Shell enters into contracts to supply or purchase oil and gas products, as well as power and environmental products. Shell also enters into contracts for tolling, pipeline and storage capacity. Derivative contracts are entered into for mitigation of resulting economic exposures (generally price exposure) and these derivative contracts are carried at period-end market Page 20
price (fair value), with movements in fair value recognised in income for the period. Supply and purchase contracts entered into for operational purposes, as well as contracts for tolling, pipeline and storage capacity, are, by contrast, recognised when the transaction occurs; furthermore, inventory is carried at historical cost or net realisable value, whichever is lower. As a consequence, accounting mismatches occur because: (a) the supply or purchase transaction is recognised in a different period, or (b) the inventory is measured on a different basis. In addition, certain contracts are, due to pricing or delivery conditions, deemed to contain embedded derivatives or written options and are also required to be carried at fair value even though they are entered into for operational purposes. The accounting impacts are reported as identified items. Impacts of exchange rate movements on tax balances represent the impact on tax balances of exchange rate movements arising on (a) the conversion to dollars of the local currency tax base of non-monetary assets and liabilities, as well as losses (this primarily impacts the Upstream and Integrated Gas segments) and (b) the conversion of dollar-denominated inter-segment loans to local currency, leading to taxable exchange rate gains or losses (this primarily impacts the Corporate segment). Other identified items represent other credits or charges that based on Shell management's assessment hinder the comparative understanding of Shell's financial results from period to period. B. Adjusted Earnings per share Adjusted Earnings per share is calculated as Adjusted Earnings (see Reference A), divided by the weighted average number of shares used as the basis for basic earnings per share (see Note 3). C. Cash capital expenditure Cash capital expenditure represents cash spent on maintaining and developing assets as well as on investments in the period. Management regularly monitors this measure as a key lever to delivering sustainable cash flows. Cash capital expenditure is the sum of the following lines from the Consolidated Statement of Cash flows: Capital expenditure, Investments in joint ventures and associates and Investments in equity securities.
1.The calculation for Cash capital expenditure at segment level uses the same methodology as at Shell level. D. Return on average capital employed Return on average capital employed ("ROACE") measures the efficiency of Shell’s utilisation of the capital that it employs. Shell uses two ROACE measures: ROACE on a Net income basis and ROACE on an Adjusted Earnings plus Non-controlling interest (NCI) basis, both adjusted for after-tax interest expense. Both measures refer to Capital employed which consists of total equity, current debt and non-current debt. ROACE on a Net income basis Page 21
ROACE on an Adjusted Earnings plus Non-controlling interest (NCI) basis In this calculation, the sum of Adjusted Earnings (see Reference A) plus non-controlling interest (NCI) excluding identified items for the current and previous three quarters, adjusted for after-tax interest expense, is expressed as a percentage of the average capital employed for the same period.
E. Gearing and Net debt Gearing is a measure of Shell’s capital structure and is defined as net debt as a percentage of total capital. Net debt is defined as the sum of current and non-current debt, less cash and cash equivalents, adjusted for the fair value of derivative financial instruments used to hedge foreign exchange and interest rate risks relating to debt, and associated collateral balances. Management considers this adjustment useful because it reduces the volatility of net debt caused by fluctuations in foreign exchange and interest rates, and eliminates the potential impact of related collateral payments or receipts. Debt-related derivative financial instruments are a subset of the derivative financial instrument assets and liabilities presented on the balance sheet. Collateral balances are reported under “Trade and other receivables” or “Trade and other payables” as appropriate.
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F. Operating expenses and Underlying operating expenses Operating expenses is a measure of Shell’s cost management performance, comprising the following items from the Consolidated Statement of Income: production and manufacturing expenses; selling, distribution and administrative expenses; and research and development expenses. Underlying operating expenses is a measure aimed at facilitating a comparative understanding of performance from period to period by removing the effects of identified items, which, either individually or collectively, can cause volatility, in some cases driven by external factors.
G. Free cash flow and Organic free cash flow Free cash flow is used to evaluate cash available for financing activities, including dividend payments and debt servicing, after investment in maintaining and growing the business. It is defined as the sum of “Cash flow from operating activities” and “Cash flow from investing activities”. Cash flows from acquisition and divestment activities are removed from Free cash flow to arrive at the Organic free cash flow, a measure used by management to evaluate the generation of free cash flow without these activities.
H. Cash flow from operating activities excluding working capital movements Working capital movements are defined as the sum of the following items in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows: (i) (increase)/decrease in inventories, (ii) (increase)/decrease in current receivables, and (iii) increase/(decrease) in current payables. Cash flow from operating activities excluding working capital movements is a measure used by Shell to analyse its operating cash generation over time excluding the timing effects of changes in inventories and operating receivables and payables from period to period. Page 23
I. Divestment proceeds Divestment proceeds represent cash received from divestment activities in the period. Management regularly monitors this measure as a key lever to deliver sustainable cash flow.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT All amounts shown throughout this announcement are unaudited. All peak production figures in Portfolio Developments are quoted at 100% expected production. The numbers presented throughout this announcement may not sum precisely to the totals provided and percentages may not precisely reflect the absolute figures, due to rounding. The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report, “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. “Subsidiaries”, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as “joint ventures” and “joint operations”, respectively. “Joint ventures” and “joint operations” are collectively referred to as “joint arrangements”. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as “associates”. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest. Forward-Looking Statements This Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”, “ambition”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “goals”, “intend”, “may”, “milestones”, “objectives”, “outlook”, “plan”, “probably”, “project”, “risks”, “schedule”, “seek”, “should”, “target”, “will” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report, May 4, 2023. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report. Shell’s Net Carbon Intensity Also, in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity”, which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the term Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” is for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries. Shell’s net-Zero Emissions Target Shell’s operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and Net Carbon Intensity (NCI) targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target and 2035 NCI target, as these targets are currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target. Forward-Looking Non-GAAP measures This Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements. The contents of websites referred to in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report do not form part of this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report. We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Report that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov. This announcement contains inside information. May 4, 2023 Page 25
Contacts: - Caroline J.M. Omloo, Company Secretary - Media: International +44 (0) 207 934 5550; USA +1 832 337 4355 LEI number of Shell plc: 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 Classification: Inside Information Page 26
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