Investors will now receive 5.25 US cents per share, compared with 10.25 cents earlier.
It comes after the oil giant swung to a $6.7 billion (€5.7 billion) underlying replacement cost loss in the second quarter of the year.
It is a massive hit compared with the same time last year, when it made a $2.8 billion underlying replacement cost profit, but is still around $100 million more than analysts had expected.
$BP 2Q results have been driven by a very challenging quarter, but also by deliberate steps taken as we continue to reimagine energy and reinvent bp. Beneath these our performance remained resilient, good cash flow & most importantly – safe operations. https://t.co/ooCdtud6BQ
— bp Press (@bp_Press) August 4, 2020
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The average price of oil was around 57% lower at $29.50 for a barrel of Brent crude in the quarter compared with the same three months in 2019.
The falling price was driven by a mix of geopolitics as Saudi Arabia and Russia started a price war at the start of the year, and the coronavirus pandemic, which pushed down demand for oil.
It was in part this decrease that two months ago sparked an announcement that BP would write off around $13 billion to $17.5 billion after tax.
Chief executive Bernard Looney said: “These headline results have been driven by another very challenging quarter, but also by the deliberate steps we have taken as we continue to reimagine energy and reinvent BP.
“In particular, our reset of long-term price assumptions and the related impairment and exploration write-off charges had a major impact.
“Beneath these, however, our performance remained resilient, with good cash flow and – most importantly – safe and reliable operations.”
Three months ago, amid the doom and gloom of Covid-19, BP surprised many market-watchers by not cutting its payout to shareholders, as its rival Shell had for the first time since the Second World War.
From International Oil Company to Integrated Energy Company: bp sets out strategy for decade of delivery towards net zero. https://t.co/ur9j599ZLM pic.twitter.com/2HEU6LdfPW
— bp Press (@bp_Press) August 4, 2020
Separately from the results, Mr Looney provided more detail to investors on the company’s new green plans.
By the end of decade he pledged that BP will be investing about $5 billion in low-carbon projects, a tenfold increase from today.
Over the same period it expects to slash daily oil and gas production by 40% from the levels it was at last year.
While the dividend will remain at 5.25 US cents until the board decides to increase it, Mr Looney and his fellow directors promised to return money to investors by buying back their shares with at least 60% of BP’s surplus cash.
