 "Shell profits plunge 82% as coronavirus pandemic hits energy demand")
Royal Dutch Shell said Thursday that its second-quarter earnings plunged 82% as the COVID-19 pandemic slashed energy prices and demand.
Shell reported that adjusted profit, which excludes one-time items and changes in the value of inventories, dropped to $638 million from $3.46 billion in the same period last year.
Shell took a charge of $16.8 billion amid reduced expectations for energy prices and refining margins, as well as weaker energy demand due to the pandemic.
Including this charge, the company reported a net loss of $18.1 billion, compared with net income of $3 billion pounds a year earlier.
CEO Ben van Beurden says the company is facing a remarkably challenging environment and focusing on decisive cash preservation measures'' to underpin the balance sheet.