據能源世界網7月8日倫敦報道，荷蘭皇家殼牌( Royal Dutch Shell )周三表示，將通過股票回購或派息來提高對股東的回報，此前石油和天然氣價格的大幅上漲幫助該公司減少了債務。

　　該公司在季度業績發布前的一份交易聲明中表示，將從第二季度開始，將向股東分配的現金流比例提高到 20 %-30 %。

　　此舉比許多分析師預期的要早，由于“強勁的運營和財務交付，以及宏觀經濟前景的改善”。

　　殼牌此前曾表示，一旦凈債務降至650億美元以下，將提高回報率。該公司周三表示，將“取消”這一目標，但未說明是否達到了這一目標。

　　其稱，殼牌預計將在第二季度進一步減少凈債務，不過減少的幅度將因營運資本流動而有所減緩。

　　分析師此前普遍預計，殼牌將在年底前增加分銷，但近幾個月油氣價格的強勁上漲，加快了這一進程。

　　摩根大通(JP Morgan)分析師christstyan Malek在一份報告中表示，“股東回報增加”是一個重要的里程碑，突顯了殼牌自由現金流主張的優勢，并向市場發出了一個重要信息。

　　第一季度，在利潤上升到32.3億美元后，該公司提高了股息。

　　堅持支出

　　殼牌正在進行旨在降低溫室氣體排放的戰略轉變，該公司表示，將堅持其2021年將保持在220億美元以下的支出計劃。

　　盡管石油和天然氣價格上漲，但殼牌表示，其世界最大的液化天然氣(LNG)交易業務在第二季度“明顯低于平均水平”，與上一季度相似。

　　石油產品的日銷售量預計在400萬-500萬桶之間，仍遠低于疫情前的水平。

　　郝芬 譯自 能源世界網

　　原文如下:

　　Royal Dutch Shell to boost shareholder returns after oil price rise

　　Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday said it would boost its returns to shareholders via share buybacks or dividends after a sharp rise in oil and gas prices helped it reduce debt.

　　It will increase its distribution to shareholders to 20% to 30% of cash flow from operations beginning in the second quarter, the company said in a trading statement ahead of its quarterly results.

　　The move, which comes earlier than many analysts had expected, was due to "strong operational and financial delivery, combined with an improved macroeconomic outlook."

　　Shell previously said it would boost returns once its net debt dropped below $65 billion. The company said on Wednesday it would "retire" the target without specifying whether it had hit it.

　　"In the second quarter, Shell expects to have further reduced its net debt, although the extent of the reduction will be moderated by working capital movements," it said.

　　Analysts had largely expected Shell to increase distribution towards the end of the year, but a strong rise in oil and natural gas prices in recent months accelerated the timetable.

　　The shareholder returns increase "is an important milestone that highlights the strength of Shell's free cashflow proposition and sends an important message to the market," JP Morgan analyst Christyan Malek said in a note.

　　In the first quarter, the company raised its dividend after profits rose to $3.23 billion.

　　STICKING TO SPENDING

　　Shell, which is in the midst of a strategic shift aimed at lowering its greenhouse gas emissions, said it would stick to its spending plans that would remain below $22 billion in 2021.

　　Despite the higher oil and gas prices, Shell said its liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading operations, the world's largest, were "significantly below average" in the second quarter and similar to the previous quarter.

　　Oil products sales are expected to be between 4 to 5 million barrels per day, still well below pre-pandemic levels.