SLB (NYSE:SLB) reported second-quarter revenue of $9 billion, up 3% sequentially, as growth in Latin America, Europe and Africa, U.S. land and Asia more than offset disruptions in the Middle East. Adjusted earnings per share were $0.55, up $0.03 from the prior quarter but down $0.19 from a year earlier, according to Chief Financial Officer Stephane Biguet.
The company said Middle East revenue declined 13% sequentially to $1.66 billion amid conflict-related operational disruptions. SLB took temporary cost actions to limit the earnings impact, and Biguet said the resulting effect on earnings per share was slightly below the low end of the company’s previously indicated $0.06 to $0.08 range.
Production Systems and Digital Lead Growth
Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch said growth outside the Middle East was broad-based, supported by higher offshore activity in Brazil, Guyana, Mexico, Scandinavia, Nigeria, China, Indonesia, India and Australia. U.S. land activity also improved, with higher demand for production chemicals, artificial lift and valves.
Production Systems was the company’s largest division in the quarter, with revenue rising 7% sequentially to $3.8 billion. The increase was driven by OneSubsea, artificial lift, valves, surface production systems and completions. Pre-tax operating margin improved 138 basis points to 15.5%, aided by better profitability in OneSubsea and artificial lift, as well as contributions from ChampionX’s Production Chemicals and Artificial Lift businesses.
Le Peuch said Production Systems adjusted EBITDA margins returned to above 20%. He added that ChampionX delivered sequential margin expansion for a third consecutive quarter despite inflation in chemicals.
Digital revenue increased 9% sequentially to $697 million, while pre-tax operating margin rose 683 basis points to 27.8%. Digital adjusted EBITDA margin reached 34.7%, up 860 basis points sequentially, driven by exploration data licenses and transfer fees in Brazil and Indonesia, along with improved profitability in digital operations, platforms and applications. SLB said digital annual recurring revenue increased 15% year over year.
Reservoir Performance revenue declined 2% sequentially to $1.6 billion, and Well Construction revenue also fell 2% to $2.7 billion, primarily because of Middle East disruptions. Well Construction margin was essentially flat as lower profitability in the Middle East was offset by improved profitability in North America and Latin America.
Middle East Recovery Remains Uneven
Management said activity resumed in several Middle Eastern countries during the quarter, though operations in Iraq remained constrained by security concerns. Le Peuch said recovery will vary by country, customer and operating environment, and a return to full activity will take time.
During the question-and-answer session, Le Peuch said customer engagement had increased as operators plan to restore shut-in wells, expand capacity and deploy production-recovery solutions. He said activity had been restored and was strengthening in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and, to some extent, Saudi Arabia, while Iraq remained more constrained.
SLB expects initial recovery work to include well intervention, production chemicals, coiled tubing and other ChampionX-related production and recovery offerings. Management also said the disruption could accelerate interest in digital tools to optimize existing wells and operations.
For the third quarter, SLB’s base case assumes a gradual Middle East recovery and calls for global sequential revenue growth of 3% to 4%, with approximately 75 basis points of adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. Core-division revenue is expected to rise in the low- to mid-single digits, while Digital revenue is projected to increase in the low single digits.
The company also outlined a downside scenario in which renewed escalation prevents remobilization efforts and leaves Middle East revenue flat sequentially. In that case, third-quarter revenue would be about $150 million below its base case and adjusted EBITDA would face an approximately $75 million headwind, primarily in Well Construction and Reservoir Performance.
Deepwater Activity and Fourth-Quarter Outlook
Le Peuch said the market is beginning to show characteristics of an upcycle, citing the need to replenish inventories and strategic reserves, diversify supply, develop domestic resources and rebuild spare capacity. He said third-party reports indicate final investment decisions for long-cycle projects could increase about 30% year over year in 2026.
SLB expects stronger exploration spending and deepwater capital investment during the second half of 2026, led by Africa, with a more meaningful impact in 2027 across Latin America, the Mediterranean and Asia. Management also highlighted continued activity in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, the North Sea and the Gulf of America.
The company reiterated its ambition for OneSubsea bookings to reach $9 billion over two years. Le Peuch said SLB is expanding its subsea portfolio, including trees, manifolds, umbilicals, processing and boosting solutions, while pursuing life-of-field service capabilities and alliances with customers and partners.
For the fourth quarter, SLB expects Middle East revenue of $2.1 billion to $2.2 billion, or roughly 95% of the level achieved in the fourth quarter of 2025. Assuming that recovery, continued deepwater momentum and typical year-end Digital product sales, the company expects fourth-quarter revenue to exceed $10 billion, representing about 5% year-over-year growth. Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be about 24%.
Data Center Business Expands
SLB said its data center solutions revenue grew 33% sequentially and 80% year over year. The business added hyperscaler customers and expanded from equipment manufacturing into data center design, engineering and system integration.
Le Peuch said SLB uses off-site fabrication to produce modular equipment for server infrastructure and cooling systems, aiming to provide customers with shorter delivery times and scalable deployment. The company said its backlog is already sufficient to support an annualized revenue run rate exceeding $2 billion by the end of 2027.
Biguet said the data center business is not currently accretive to SLB’s overall margins, but it is accretive to revenue and earnings growth and has strong free-cash-flow characteristics because of its capital-light business model and contract terms.
SLB generated $1.4 billion in cash flow from operations and $716 million in free cash flow during the quarter. It ended the period with net debt of $8.7 billion, repurchased $648 million of stock, and maintained its full-year target to return more than $4 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.
About SLB (NYSE:SLB)
SLB (NYSE: SLB), historically known as Schlumberger, is a leading global provider of technology, integrated project management and information solutions for the energy industry. Founded by Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger in 1926, the company develops and supplies products and services used across the exploration, drilling, completion and production phases of oil and gas development. Its offerings are intended to help operators characterize reservoirs, drill and complete wells, optimize production and manage field operations throughout the asset lifecycle.
SLB’s product and service portfolio spans reservoir characterization and well testing, wireline and logging services, directional drilling and drilling tools, well construction and completion technologies, production systems, and subsea equipment.
