OREANDA-NEWS. June 05, 2014. Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) provided an overview of the company’s 2013 operational and social performance and future growth plans at its 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Midland, Texas.

“Chevron’s 2013 results demonstrate that we remain well positioned to grow profitably and continue to deliver superior stockholder value,” said John Watson, chairman of the board and chief executive officer. “We continue to advance key development projects, which underpin our planned growth strategy and capacity to deliver affordable energy to world markets, a cornerstone of economic prosperity.”

During the meeting, Watson discussed Chevron’s 2013 financial and operational performance, highlighting earnings of USD21.4 billion and return on capital employed (ROCE) of 13.5 percent. In 2013, the company marked its 26th consecutive year of annual dividend payment increases, which included last year’s dividend increase of 11.1 percent. Chevron announced another quarterly dividend increase of 7 percent in April 2014. Watson also said that Chevron led its peer group in total stockholder return for the five-year period ending Dec. 31, 2013.

Watson further reiterated Chevron’s long-standing dedication to safe, reliable operations.  Reinforcing the company’s commitment to process safety, he noted that Chevron’s goal remains zero incidents and ensuring that everyone goes home safely, every day. Watson also discussed the partnerships Chevron has formed to address health, education and economic development in the communities where the company operates. Over the past eight years, Chevron has made nearly USD 1.5 billion in social investments to local communities.

George Kirkland, Chevron vice chairman, said the company is on track to grow production to 3.1 million barrels of oil-equivalent per day by 2017, up 20% from 2013, with more growth expected through the end of the decade. To reach this goal, the company has more than 70 projects, each with a Chevron share of more than \\$250 million, scheduled to start-up by the end of this decade. In Australia, the Gorgon project continues to make steady progress toward first liquefied natural gas (LNG), and is 80 percent complete with start-up expected in mid-2015.  Wheatstone is now almost 35 percent complete and remains on schedule for a start-up in 2016.

Kirkland continued by outlining Chevron’s profitable growth plans, which focus on building legacy assets associated with crude oil and natural gas. These plans include investing USD 39.8 billion in 2014, which represents a USD 2 billion reduction from 2013 spending.

In 2013, Chevron maintained an industry leading earnings per barrel average, which was nearly five dollars per barrel higher than the company’s peer group over the past three years.  Chevron has also had the highest ROCE in the Upstream sector since 2011, with an industry leading 17.2 percent in 2013.

Additionally, Kirkland discussed Chevron’s Downstream and Chemicals business, where the company’s refining and marketing earnings per barrel ranked 2nd among peers. This business also posted 10 percent ROCE in spite of a challenging margin environment for the industry.

Kirkland concluded by affirming the Downstream and Chemicals business focus on select areas of growth, including key Chevron Phillips Chemical projects that take advantage of existing infrastructure and attractive feedstocks. This year, the joint -venture company plans to start-up the world’s largest on- purpose 1-hexene plant and broke ground on a world-scale ethylene cracker and derivatives unit on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Also, Chevron’s Pascagoula base oil plant is slated to reach full production by mid-year, making Chevron the largest producer of premium base oil in the world.

Stockholders voted on 10 items and supported the board’s recommendation on each. As of May 28, 2014, the preliminary report of the Inspector of Election was as follows:

Item 1: An average of 98 percent of the votes cast were voted for each of the 12 nominees for election to the board of directors.

Item 2: Approximately 98 percent of the votes cast were voted to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the company.

Item 3: Approximately 94 percent of the votes cast were voted to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation for the company’s named executive officers.

Item 4: Approximately 94 percent of the votes cast were voted against the stockholder proposal regarding charitable contribution disclosure.

Item 5: Approximately 75 percent of the votes cast were voted against the stockholder proposal regarding lobbying disclosure.

Item 6: Approximately 72 percent of the votes cast were voted against the stockholder proposal regarding report on shale energy operations.

Item 7: Approximately 81 percent of the votes cast were voted against the stockholder proposal to designate an independent chairman.

Item 8: Approximately 65 percent of the votes cast were voted against the stockholder proposal to grant holders of 10 percent of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock the power to call special meetings.

Item 9: Approximately 78 percent of the votes cast were voted against the stockholder proposal to nominate an independent director with environmental expertise.

Item 10: Approximately 76 percent of the votes cast were voted against the stockholder proposal to report on guidelines for country selection for operations.  

Final voting results will be reported on Form 8-K, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.chevron.com. Specific information about the proposals before Chevron stockholders this year may be found in the Investor Relations section of the company’s website under Stockholder Services – “Annual Meeting Materials.”

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy; provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.