Article from the houston chronicle - Houston Chronicle BUSINESS, thanks Chronicle but do you think you can post this already.
“CEOs declare dividends safe even as oil budgets shrink"
Oil companies protect a priority of their investors.”
By Robert Grattan. February 6, 2015 Updated: February 6, 2015 9:49pm
“As they contend with a crude price collapse that's stealing jobs and capital budgets, oil companies are keeping close guard on a prize many of their investors treasure - the quarterly dividend. In reporting their first financial results for a full quarter since crude prices began to collapse last summer, oil executives have cut nearly everything else. Job, drilling plans, raises, benefits and even crew sizes have been slashed, but not a single large oil producer has discussed a potential dividend cut.”
“ConocoPhillips : "We'll protect the dividend first.”
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/CEOs-declare-dividends-safe-even-as-budgets-shrink-6067314.php?cmpid=gsa-chron-result