Statement of cash flows
Cash flow from operating activities in 2022 was an inflow of $68.4 billion, compared with $45.1 billion in 2021, mainly due to higher earnings, partly offset by unfavourable working capital movements of $5.4 billion (compared with unfavourable working capital movements of $10.4 billion in 2021). The increase in cash flow from operating activities in 2021, compared with $34.1 billion in 2020, was mainly due to higher earnings, partly offset by unfavourable working capital movements.
Cash flow from investing activities in 2022 was an outflow of $22.4 billion, compared with an outflow of $4.8 billion in 2021. The increased cash outflow was mainly due to lower proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment in 2022.The decreased cash outflow in 2021 compared with $13.3 billion in 2020 was mainly due to higher proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment in 2021, including the divestment of our Permian assets in the USA.
Cash flow from financing activities in 2022 was an outflow of $42.0 billion, compared with outflows of $34.7 billion in 2021 and $7.2 billion in 2020 mainly due to higher repurchases of shares of $18.4 billion (2021: $2.9 billion; 2020: $1.7 billion) and net repayment of debt of $7.9 billion (2021: $19.7 billion net repayment; 2020: $5.6 billion net issuance).
Cash and cash equivalents were $40.2 billion at December 31, 2022 (December 31, 2021: $37.0 billion; December 31, 2020: $31.8 billion). See Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.
Cash flow from operating activities
The most significant factors affecting our cash flow from operating activities are earnings, which are mainly impacted by: realised prices for crude oil, natural gas and LNG; production levels of crude oil, natural gas and LNG; chemicals, refining and marketing margins; and movements in working capita and derivative financial instruments.
The impact on earnings from changes in market prices depends on: the extent to which contractual arrangements are tied to market prices; the dynamics of production-sharing contracts; the existence of agreements with governments or state-owned oil and gas companies that have limited sensitivity to crude oil and natural gas prices; tax impacts; and the extent to which changes in commodity prices flow through into operating expenses. Changes in benchmark prices of crude oil and natural gas in any particular period provide only a broad indicator of changes in our Integrated Gas and Upstream earnings in that period. Changes in any one of a range of factors, derived from either within the industry or the broader economic environment, can influence refining and marketing margins. The precise impact of any such changes depends on how the oil markets respond to them. The market response is affected by factors such as: whether the change affects all crude oil types or only a specific grade; regional and global crude oil and refined products inventories; and the collective speed of response of refiners and product marketers in adjusting their operations. As a result, margins fluctuate from region to region and from period to period.
