Chevron Corp reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday as U.S. production slipped, offsetting a rise in oil and natural gas prices.
Excluding one-time items, Chevron earned 85 cents per share. By that measure, analysts expected earnings of 98 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Despite the miss, Chevron said its results were moving in the right direction, with spending on large projects being scaled back.
“We continue to see improvement in the underlying pattern of earnings and cash flow,” said Chief Executive John Watson, who will retire early next year.
Chevron’s operations were largely not affected by Hurricane Harvey, which tore through the western U.S. Gulf Coast region in August.
In the United States, Chevron said its rising Gulf of Mexico and Permian Shale output was offset by natural declines in wells elsewhere. Production increased outside the United States.
