Good morning and welcome to the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. I would now like to introduce Oxy's Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary Nicole Clark to begin the meeting.
Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining Oxy's 2024 Annual Meeting. During the webcast, we may make certain projections or other forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements.
Please refer to Oxy's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC, and our subsequent SEC filings for additional information regarding risks and uncertainties that could cause such differences. In addition, today's presentation contains references to non-GAAP financial measures.
Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in Oxy's filings with the SEC and on the Investor Relations page of Oxy's website. It's 9:02 A.M. Central Time, and the polls are now open. With that, I'll turn the call over to Oxy's President and Chief Executive Officer Vicki Hollub to share a few opening remarks before we call the meeting to order.
Thanks, Nicole, and good morning, everyone. Thank you all for joining us today. In 2023, Oxy's talented and committed employees continued to deliver strong operational performance that drove the company's financial successes. Last year, production from our global oil and gas business exceeded the midpoint of our original full-year production guidance by over 40,000 BOEs per day.
This was driven by record new well productivity rates across our domestic assets in the Delaware, Midland, and DJ Basins, and internationally by record production from Al Hosn in the UAE. OxyChem also performed very well, exceeding guidance and achieving more than $1.5 billion in pre-tax income.
These and other operational accomplishments enabled us to generate $12.3 billion of operating cash flow, deliver $5.5 billion of free cash flow before working capital, and pay nearly $600 million of common dividends, repurchase $1.8 billion of common shares, and redeem over $1.5 billion of preferred shares.
Last year, we announced several exciting strategic transactions in support of our shareholder return priorities. In November, we acquired the remaining equity of Carbon Engineering, which better positions the company to accelerate direct air capture cost reductions and global deployment.
Then in December, we agreed to purchase Midland-based oil and gas producer Crown Rock, LP, to high-grade our asset portfolio, which is expected to close in the second half of 2024, subject to regulatory approval. 2023 marked the fifth anniversary of Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, which is important to our ambitions for net-zero strategy.
OLCV is utilizing the expertise of Oxy's global workforce in carbon management, including our subsurface engineering teams characterizing reservoirs for CO2 storage, our operations teams conducting CO2 separation, transportation, use, and recycling, our major projects teams planning and construction of STRATOS, and OxyChem's chemical processing and products.
In 2023, we significantly advanced the construction of Stratos, our first direct air capture facility, which is expected to be commercially operational in mid-2025. We also secured BlackRock as a joint venture partner for that project, demonstrating that DAC is becoming an investable asset class for world-class financial institutions.
Both our operational and financial performance, as well as our progress along our net-zero pathway, positioned us nicely for 2024. This year, we are applying technical expertise and operational excellence to preserve and enhance our premier asset base in support of a sustainable and growing dividend.
Any excess cash flow will be allocated toward debt reduction to rebalance enterprise value in favor of common shareholders. We're also continuing to advance our net-zero strategy through emissions reduction projects and low-carbon initiatives and investments.
Every day, our dedicated teams work to safely and responsibly provide energy that communities need while also striving to develop innovative solutions to lead Oxy and others into a more sustainable future. I'm grateful to the board, senior leadership, and every employee for all their hard work and dedication to delivering results and maximizing value for our shareholders. I'll now ask Jack Moore, Chairman of the Board, to call the meeting to order.
Thank you, Vicki. On behalf of the board, I'm pleased to welcome you to our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The meeting is officially called to order. At this time, I'd like to introduce the other director nominees who are on the call with us today. In addition to Vicki Hollub, we have Vicki Bailey, Andrew Gould, Carlos Gutierrez, Bill Klesse, Claire O'Neill, Dick Poladian , Ken Robinson, and Bob Shearer .
Our independent auditor, KPMG, is represented here today by partners Jeff Urban and Suzanne Johnson. Also joining us is Natalie Harrison from the American Election Services, who will serve as inspector of election for today's meeting. As secretary of the meeting, Nicole will now provide brief remarks on certain procedural matters related to today's meeting and review the matters to be voted on.
Thank you, Jack. The format of today's meeting is outlined on the agenda, which is shown in the center of the meeting portal, and the rules of conduct may be accessed at the bottom right corner of the meeting portal under Meeting Materials. These procedures are in place for us to have a fair and orderly meeting.
Please note that this meeting is being recorded. However, no one attending via the webcast or by telephone is permitted to use any audio recording device. If you are a shareholder and you have not already voted or you wish to change your vote, you should have logged into the meeting using your control number, which will allow you to vote online during the meeting. Your control number may be found on your proxy card, voting instruction form, or electronic notice to vote.
You may vote by clicking on the Vote Here button at the bottom center of the meeting portal. If you have already submitted your proxy card or voted by internet or telephone, your shares have been voted accordingly. You do not need to vote today unless you are voting for the first time or you wish to change your vote. The Board of Directors fixed March 8, 2024, as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of and vote at this meeting.
We began delivering the Notice of Internet Availability of the Proxy Materials, the Proxy Statement, and our Annual Report on Form 10-K on March 21 to holders of record as of the record date. We have received an affidavit of mailing establishing that notice of this meeting was duly given.
A copy of the materials described above and the affidavit of mailing will be incorporated into the minutes of this meeting. The Oath of Office of Natalie Harrison, our independent third-party inspector of election, will also be included in the minutes. The Proxy Statement, our 2023 Annual Report, and a list of shareholders entitled to vote at this meeting are available to shareholders via the meeting portal.
We have a report from the inspector of election that there are shareholders present at this meeting in person or by proxy representing more than 84% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Oxy entitled to votes. I therefore declare that a quorum is present and this meeting is duly convened for the purpose of transacting such business as may properly come before it.
The only matters properly before our shareholders today in accordance with the company's bylaws are those set out in the Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement. I will now review the matters to be voted on at today's meeting. The first proposal is the election of 10 directors to serve for a one-year term ending at the 2025 Annual Meeting, as described in the Proxy Statement.
The board has nominated the following persons to serve as directors of the company: Jack Moore, Vicki Bailey, Andrew Gould, Carlos Gutierrez, Vicki Hollub, Bill Klesse, Claire O'Neill, Dick Palladian, Ken Robinson, and Bob Scheer. The biography of each director nominee is included in the Proxy Statement. The board recommends a vote for each of the director nominees. The second proposal is the advisory vote to approve named executive officer compensation, as described in the Proxy Statement.
The board recommends a vote for this proposal. The third proposal is the ratification of the selection of KPMG as Oxy's independent auditor for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. The board recommends a vote for this proposal. The fourth proposal is a shareholder proposal submitted by John Chevedden requesting an annual report on lobbying. Mr. Chevedden, we would note that in accordance with our rules of conduct for this meeting, you have three minutes to present your proposal. Operator, please unmute Mr. Chevedden's line.
Hello. Hello. This is John Chevedden, Proposal 4, Transparency and Lobbying. I move Proposal 4 asking Occidental Petroleum provide a report on its state and federal lobbying expenditures, including indirect funding of lobbying through trade associations and social welfare groups. Shareholders are asking companies to disclose all dark money payments to third-party groups that use money to influence policy.
Occidental Petroleum fails to do this. Occidental Petroleum does not issue a single comprehensive report of its own direct lobbying. We know that for its direct lobbying, Occidental Petroleum spent over $105 million on federal lobbying since 2010. There is incomplete disclosure about Occidental Petroleum spending at the state level. We're finding this information is nearly impossible. Occidental Petroleum is required to report its lobbying and already has this information, so it could easily be provided to shareholders.
This proposal seeks full disclosure of dark money payments to trade associations or social welfare groups where there are no limits or disclosure requirements. Oxy shareholders face a blind spot here. Trade associations spend hundreds of millions to lobby. The U.S. Chamber has spent more than $1.8 billion since 1998. For 2023, Oxy reports belonging to 22 trade associations, which received more than $50,000 in dues but fails to disclose its payments and amounts used for lobbying.
Oxy lags peers Exxon and Chevron, which disclose trade association and social welfare group payments used for lobbying. For example, Oxy belongs to the American Chemistry Council , American Fuel and Petroleum Manufacturers, American Petroleum Institute, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which together spent over $198 million on federal lobbying in 2023. Yet shareholders have no way to know how much of this comprised of Oxy's payments.
Many of Oxy's trade association lobbying positions contradict company public policy positions, resulting in values misalignment and reputation risk. For example, Oxy believes in addressing climate change, yet its membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been a central actor against climate change legislation for two decades.
Lobbying disclosure is a safety mechanism for our company, its reputation, and shareholders as what gets disclosed gets managed. Full disclosure of Oxy's lobbying, including all third-party payments, will ensure proper oversight of our company's lobbying. I urge shareholders to vote for this proposal for transparency and lobbying.
Thank you, Mr. Chevedden. The board recommends a vote against this proposal for the reasons set out in the Proxy Statement. Also, as we stated in the Proxy Statement, we believe the proponent makes several allegations that are not accurate or baseless. We will now address any shareholder questions that we have received relating to the proposals.
To allow enough time to respond to all of the shareholder questions, the rules of conduct for the annual meeting include limits on the number of questions any individual shareholder may ask at the meeting. If any shareholder has additional questions following today's meeting, we encourage you to reach out to our investor relations team at the email address or telephone number listed on Oxy's website.
Please note the polls will be closing immediately after we address any questions relating to the proposals. As a reminder, shareholders who have sent in proxies or voted via telephone or internet and who do not wish to change their votes do not need to take any further action.
Thanks, Nicole. We've received a question regarding the auditor ratification proposal. Specifically, how does Oxy evaluate and ensure the objectivity and independence of the audit firm after a long tenure? And would we consider a rotation of the audit firm in the near term?
Thanks, Brittany. Speaking to both questions, the audit committee evaluates auditor performance each year in determining whether to retain the auditor or engage a different independent registered public accounting firm. Among the key factors considered in this evaluation, which are described in more detail on pages 69 and 70 of our Proxy Statement, are a review of the auditor's independence from the company and management and the existing independence controls.
The assessment of independence controls includes a review of both internal controls via the audit committee's process, as well as compliance with external controls such as PCAOB and SEC requirements, PCAOB inspections, and peer reviews. The lead partner for KPMG, our current auditor, was changed in 2020, while KPMG's engagement quality review partner was most recently changed in 2022.
The primary engagement partner is rotated at least every five years, and consistent with this, the lead partner will rotate off in 2025. Do we have any other questions regarding the proposals?
No, we do not.
Thanks, Brittany. This concludes the question-and-answer session regarding the proposals.
Thank you, Nicole. I now declare the polls closed. Nicole, will you please provide a preliminary report on the voting results?
Thanks, Jack. We will reflect that the polls closed at 9:17 A.M. Central Time. The inspector of election reports on a preliminary basis that the shareholders have approved the election of each of the 10 director nominees named in Proposal 1 with an average level of support of over 98%.
They have approved Proposal 2 with over 96% voting in support, have approved Proposal 3 with over 97% voting in support, and did not approve Proposal 4 with over 85% opposing Mr. Chevedden's proposal. The final voting results will become part of the record of the meeting and will be reported in the Form 10-K, sorry, Form 8-K, to be filed in connection with the matters voted upon at this meeting.
Thank you, Nicole. Since there is no further formal business, the official business portion of the meeting is now adjourned. With that, I will now ask Vicki to address shareholder questions that we have received relating to matters other than the proposals.
Thank you, Jack. Brittany, do we have any questions?
Yes. We've received a few questions regarding plans to grow the dividend. Can you speak to that?
In February, the board authorized an over 22% increase in our common dividend. On an annual basis, subject to board approval, the dividend is $0.88 per share at the new rate compared to the previous annual rate of $0.72 per share. As I discussed on our last earnings call, we will focus our cash flow and shareholder return priorities in 2024 on dividend growth, debt reduction, and a capital allocation program that generates strong free cash flow throughout the commodity cycle.
Also, in connection with the Crown Rock acquisition that we announced at the end of last year, we expect to strengthen our balance sheet, improve our resilience in lower commodity price environments, and free up cash from interest payments to support future sustainable dividend growth and share repurchases.
The next question relates to board composition. Is the board comfortable with its size at 10 directors?
Yes, we're happy with the size of the board currently. We've actually had quite a bit of refreshment over the past few years, and we're excited to welcome Claire and Ken to the board in 2023. While the governance committee periodically reviews and discusses board composition and refreshment with the two additions I just mentioned, the board believes we've landed in a good place with diversity of backgrounds, skills, and tenure. Going forward, we will be opportunistic for any new directors. Jack, do you have anything to add?
Thanks, Vicki. I couldn't agree more. The dynamics on the board are excellent. We'll, of course, continue to monitor that board composition aligns with the needs of Oxy and its shareholders as the business and other macro considerations evolve over time.
Thank you both. The next question relates to our net-zero strategy and targets. Specifically, can shareholders expect Oxy to set an interim Scope 3 reduction GHG emissions target for 2030?
Thanks, Brittany. With respect to Scope 3 Emissions, we've set a medium-term target to facilitate 25 million metric tons per year of geologic storage or utilization of captured CO2 in our value chain by 2032, or other means of technologically feasible climate mitigation. This target is part of a range of ambitious interim targets that address Oxy's Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions.
Thanks, Vicki. The next question is, how is artificial intelligence impacting Oxy's operations?
That's a good question. For years, we've utilized artificial intelligence within our oil and gas and other operations to enable us to recover the most out of our wells from an operating and well-design standpoint. More recently, we've introduced AI technology in our deepwater subsurface characterization workflows to accelerate and improve the evaluation of our large and diverse portfolio of opportunities across the Gulf of Mexico. So for us, the use of artificial intelligence isn't new.
However, within the increased focus of AI over the past year, and particularly generative AI, we've revisited and also explored new areas in which we can apply machine learning. Some examples include automation of certain well servicing activities to ease the administrative burden on field personnel, which gives them more time for more substantial tasks, and AI-powered analysis and forecasting that could inform strategic and tactical decision-making in our supply chain function.
We look forward to continuing to unlock opportunities through AI that will allow us to work faster and smarter.
Thanks, Vicki. We haven't received any other shareholder questions.
Thanks, Brittany. That concludes the general question-and-answer session. On behalf of the board and senior management, thank you for your continued support and ownership of Oxy.
Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. You may now disconnect.