Chemicals
Chemical segment earnings for the second quarter of 2012 were $194 million, compared with $253 million in the second quarter of 2011. The year-over-year decrease was the result of lower domestic and export caustic volumes, lower vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) export demand, and lower polyvinyl chloride and VCM export prices, partially offset by lower natural gas and ethylene costs.
Midstream, Marketing and Other
Midstream segment earnings were $77 million for the second quarter of 2012, compared with $187 million for the second quarter of 2011. The results predominantly reflect lower margins in the marketing and trading businesses and the gas processing businesses, partially offset by higher income in the pipeline businesses.
SIX-MONTH RESULTS
Year-to-date 2012 core income was $2.9 billion ($3.56 per diluted share), compared with $3.4 billion ($4.19 per diluted share) for the same period in 2011. Net income for the first six months of 2012 was $2.9 billion ($3.55 per diluted share), compared with $3.4 billion ($4.13 per diluted share) for the same period in 2011.
Oil and Gas
Oil and gas segment earnings were $4.5 billion for the six months of 2012, compared with $5.1 billion for the same period of 2011. The $600 million decrease in the 2012 results reflected lower NGL and natural gas prices, higher operating costs and higher DD&A rates, partially offset by higher oil prices and increased volumes.
Oil and gas production volumes for the six months were 760,000 BOE per day for 2012, compared with 723,000 BOE per day for the 2011 period. Year-over-year, our domestic production increased by 11 percent, while total production increased by 5 percent. Higher year-over-year average oil prices and other factors affecting our production-sharing and similar contracts lowered our Middle East/North Africa and Long Beach production by 7,000 BOE per day.
The six-month 2012 daily production volume increase resulted from 44,000 BOE higher domestic volumes, partially offset by lower volumes of 2,000 BOE in the Middle East/North Africa and 5,000 BOE in Latin America.
Daily sales volumes were 752,000 BOE in the first six months of 2012, compared with 717,000 BOE for 2011.
Oxy's realized prices improved for crude oil but declined for natural gas and NGLs on a year-over-year basis. Worldwide crude oil prices were $103.63 per barrel for the six months of 2012, compared with $97.38 per barrel for the six months of 2011. Worldwide NGL prices were $47.52 per barrel for the six months of 2012, compared with $55.38 per barrel in the six months of 2011. Domestic gas prices declined 42 percent, from $4.24 per MCF in the six months of 2011 to $2.46 per MCF in the six months of 2012.
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