chevron affirms cash flow growth and capital discipline

NEW YORK, N.Y., March 6, 2018 – Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) hosted its annual security analyst meeting in New York, where executives highlighted the company’s plans to excel in any market environment.

“We intend to grow free cash flow in 2018 and thereafter,” said Michael K. Wirth, Chevron’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Even with no commodity price appreciation, we expect to deliver stronger upstream cash margins and production growth. This is a powerful combination.”

“And we intend to maintain capital discipline, as evidenced by an $18 billion investment program this year and an $18-$20 billion annual investment range projected through 2020,” Wirth added. The company emphasized its portfolio strength, highlighting resilience and sustainability through the price cycle, as well as numerous attractive development opportunities under a ratable capital program.

“We plan to further lower our cost structure, get more value from our existing assets and continue to high-grade our portfolio. We believe execution of these plans will support our primary commitment to shareholders, which is a sustained and growing dividend over time. As we generate surplus cash, we would expect to be in a position to resume our share repurchase program.”

Jay Johnson, executive vice president, upstream, reviewed Chevron’s upstream opportunities. “Our objective is to ensure our upstream business provides competitive returns throughout the price cycle. We’re focused on operating safely and reliably, continuing to lower our costs, and delivering production growth from the Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG projects in Australia.”

“In addition, we’re advancing development of our unconventional resources, particularly in the U.S. Permian Basin, where we have a leading position. We’re seeing reserves grow, costs shrink, efficiencies expand and production rise.”

Mr. Johnson provided an update on the company’s Tengiz growth project in Kazakhstan, which is on track to deliver first production in 2022. He also discussed multiple deepwater assets and emphasized near-term opportunities to leverage existing infrastructure, apply technology and increase standardization to improve capital and operating cost efficiencies for these deepwater assets.

Presentations and a full transcript of the meeting will be available on the Investor Relations website at www.chevron.com.

As used in this press release, the term “Chevron” and such terms as “the company,” “the corporation,” “our,” “we” and “us” may refer to Chevron Corporation, one or more of its consolidated subsidiaries, or to all of them taken as a whole. All of these terms are used for convenience only and are not intended as a precise description of any of the separate companies, each of which manages its own affairs.

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This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to Chevron’s operations that are based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections about the petroleum, chemicals and other energy-related industries. Words or phrases such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets,” “forecasts,” “projects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “schedules,” “estimates,” “positions,” “pursues,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “budgets,” “outlook,” “trends,” “guidance,” “focus,” “on schedule,” “on track,” “is slated,” “goals,” “objectives,” “strategies,” “opportunities,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the company’s control and are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Unless legally required, Chevron undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are: changing crude oil and natural gas prices; changing refining, marketing and chemicals margins; the company's ability to realize anticipated cost savings and expenditure reductions; actions of competitors or regulators; timing of exploration expenses; timing of crude oil liftings; the competitiveness of alternate-energy sources or product substitutes; technological developments; the results of operations and financial condition of the company's suppliers, vendors, partners and equity affiliates, particularly during extended periods of low prices for crude oil and natural gas; the inability or failure of the company’s joint-venture partners to fund their share of operations and development activities; the potential failure to achieve expected net production from existing and future crude oil and natural gas development projects; potential delays in the development, construction or start-up of planned projects; the potential disruption or interruption of the company’s operations due to war, accidents, political events, civil unrest, severe weather, cyber threats and terrorist acts, crude oil production quotas or other actions that might be imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or other natural or human causes beyond its control; changing economic, regulatory and political environments in the various countries in which the company operates; general domestic and international economic and political conditions; the potential liability for remedial actions or assessments under existing or future environmental regulations and litigation; significant operational, investment or product changes required by existing or future environmental statutes and regulations, including international agreements and national or regional legislation and regulatory measures to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions; the potential liability resulting from other pending or future litigation; the company’s future acquisition or disposition of assets or shares or the delay or failure of such transactions to close based on required closing conditions; the potential for gains and losses from asset dispositions or impairments; government-mandated sales, divestitures, recapitalizations, industry-specific taxes, changes in fiscal terms or restrictions on scope of company operations; foreign currency movements compared with the U.S. dollar; material reductions in corporate liquidity and access to debt markets; the impact of the 2017 U.S. tax legislation on the company’s future results; the effects of changed accounting rules under generally accepted accounting principles promulgated by rule-setting bodies; the company's ability to identify and mitigate the risks and hazards inherent in operating in the global energy industry; and the factors set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” on pages 19 through 22 of the company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Other unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this press release could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.