<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001171843-19-005811.txt : 20190905
<SEC-HEADER>0001171843-19-005811.hdr.sgml : 20190905
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20190905060513
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001171843-19-005811
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	6-K
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		2
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20190905
FILED AS OF DATE:		20190905
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20190905

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			EQUINOR ASA
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001140625
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	PETROLEUM REFINING [2911]
		IRS NUMBER:				000000000
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		6-K
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-15200
		FILM NUMBER:		191076120

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		FORUSBEEN 50
		CITY:			STAVANGER NORWAY
		STATE:			Q8
		ZIP:			N 4035
		BUSINESS PHONE:		47 51 99 00 00

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		FORUSBEEN 50
		CITY:			STAVANGER
		STATE:			Q8
		ZIP:			N 4035

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	STATOIL ASA
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20091102

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	STATOILHYDRO ASA
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20071005

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	STATOIL ASA
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	20010515
</SEC-HEADER>
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<TYPE>6-K
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>f6k_090519.htm
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 6-K
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<p style="font-size: 14pt;" align="center"><strong>UNITED STATES</strong><br /><strong>SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</strong><br /><strong>Washington, D.C. 20549</strong></p>

<p style="font-size: 14pt; text-transform: uppercase;" align="center"><strong>Form 6-K</strong></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934</strong></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong><strong>September 2019</strong></p>

<p style="text-align: center;">Commission File Number: <strong>1-15200</strong></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><font style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Equinor ASA</strong></font><br />(Translation of registrant's name into English)</p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>FORUSBEEN 50, N-4035, STAVANGER</strong><br />(Address of principal executive office)</p></div>

<p>Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.<br />Form 20-F [&#160;X ] &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Form 40-F [&#160;&#160; ]</p>

<p>Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): </p>

<p><strong>Note:&#160;</strong>Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.</p>

<p>Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): </p>

<p><strong>Note:&#160;</strong>Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.&#160;</p><hr style="page-break-after: always;" noshade="noshade" />

<p> On September 5, 2019, the Registrant issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference. <br /><br />(c) <a href="exh_991.htm">Exhibit 99.1</a>. Press release dated September 5, 2019</p>

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<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>SIGNATURES</strong></p>

<p>Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.</p>

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    <td style="text-decoration: underline;" align="center" width="47%"><strong>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Equinor ASA&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</strong></td></tr>
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    <td width="47%">&#160;</td>
    <td width="6%">&#160;</td>
    <td align="center" width="47%">(Registrant)</td></tr>
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    <td width="47%">&#160;</td>
    <td width="6%">&#160;</td>
    <td align="center" width="47%">&#160;</td></tr>
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    <td width="47%">Date: September 5, 2019</td>
    <td width="6%">&#160;</td>
    <td style="text-decoration: underline;" align="center" width="47%">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;/s/ LARS CHRISTIAN BACHER&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</td></tr>
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    <td width="47%">&#160;</td>
    <td width="6%">&#160;</td>
    <td align="center" width="47%">Lars Christian Bacher</td></tr>
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    <td width="47%">&#160;</td>
    <td width="6%">&#160;</td>
    <td align="center" width="47%">Chief Financial Officer</td></tr>
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    <td width="6%">&#160;</td>
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<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.1
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>exh_991.htm
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 99.1
<TEXT>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><html lang="en-US"><head><title>EdgarFiling</title><meta content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" /><meta name="GENERATOR" content="MSHTML 8.00.7601.18094" /></head><body bgcolor="#ffffff"><p style="text-align: right;"><strong>EXHIBIT 99.1</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Equinor launches a USD 5 billion share buy-back programme</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;" /><p>
     <p><strong>Equinor (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) is launching a share buy-back programme of up to USD 5 billion over a period until the end of 2022. The first tranche of the programme of around USD 1.5 billion is commencing today and will end no later than 25 February 2020.</strong></p>    <p>&#8220;Equinor is committed to capital distribution to our shareholders. We have over the last years built a strong financial position with solid credit ratings and a net debt ratio around 20%. The upcoming start-up of the world-class Johan Sverdrup field, combined with several other new fields in production, provides additional confidence in our outlook for production growth and increased cash generation capacity. We are therefore in a good position to increase capital distribution, while continuing to invest in our high-quality project portfolio&#8221;, says Eldar S&#230;tre, President and CEO of Equinor ASA.</p>    <p>&#8220;Following strong operational improvements over recent years, we increased the quarterly dividends by 13% this year. Utilising share buy-backs as an additional tool to strengthen capital distribution is aligned with our dividend policy&#8221;, says Equinor&#8217;s Chief Financial Officer, Lars Christian Bacher.</p>    <p>The share buy-back programme of up to USD 5 billion, including shares to be redeemed from the Norwegian State, is intended to be executed in the market until the end of 2022. Based on the closing Equinor share price and the USD/NOK exchange rate on 4 September 2019 the full programme represents around 292 million shares or around 8.7 % of the share capital. The purpose of the share buy-back programme is to reduce the issued share capital of the company. All shares repurchased as part of the programme will be cancelled.</p>    <p>According to an agreement between Equinor and the Norwegian State, represented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Norwegian State will participate in share buy-backs on a proportionate basis, ensuring that its ownership interest in Equinor remains unchanged at 67%.</p>    <p>The share buy-back programme will be structured into tranches where Equinor will buy back a certain USD value of shares over a certain period. For the first tranche, running from 5 September 2019 up to no later than 25 February 2020, Equinor is entering into a non-discretionary agreement with a third party who will make its trading decisions independently of the company. In this first tranche, shares for up to USD 500 million will be purchased in the market, implying a total first tranche of around USD 1.5 billion including redemption of shares from the Norwegian State.</p>    <p>The execution of further tranches of the programme will be notified to the market and is conditional upon future annual general meetings renewing the authorisation to buy back own shares and renewal of the agreement with the Norwegian State. Future tranches are also subject to commodity price conditions and balance sheet strength.</p>    <p>As described in the dividend policy, it is Equinor&#8217;s ambition to grow its annual cash dividend, measured in USD per share, in line with long term underlying earnings growth. In addition to cash dividend, the dividend policy outlines that Equinor might buy back shares as part of total distribution of capital to shareholders.</p>    <p><strong>Further information about the share buy-back programme and the first tranche:</strong></p>    <p>The first tranche of the share buy-back programme is based upon the authorisation to purchase own shares granted to the Board of Directors at the annual general meeting on 15 May 2019 and registered in the Norwegian register for business enterprises on 18 May 2019. According to the authorisation, the maximum number of shares to be purchased in the market is 75 000&#8239;000, the minimum price that can be paid for shares is NOK 50, and the maximum price is NOK 500. The authorisation is valid until the earlier of 30 June 2020 and the annual general meeting in 2020.</p>    <p>As further described in the notice to the annual general meeting in 2019, Equinor has an agreement with the Norwegian State whereby the State will vote for the cancellation of shares purchased pursuant to the authorisation, and the redemption of a proportionate number of its shares in order to maintain its ownership share in the company. The price to be paid to the State for redemption of shares shall be the volume-weighted average of the price paid by Equinor for shares purchased in the market plus an interest rate compensation, adjusted for any dividends paid, in the period up until final settlement with the State. In order to accommodate the redemption of State shares at the annual general meeting in 2020, no market purchases of shares under the programme will be made in the period from 25 February 2020 and until after the annual general meeting in 2020.</p>    <p>In the first tranche, shares will be purchased on the Oslo Stock Exchange. It will be conducted in accordance within applicable safe harbour conditions, and as further set out i.a. in the Norwegian Securities Trading Act of 2007, EU Commission Regulation (EC) No 2273/2003 and the Oslo Stock Exchange's Circular on buy-backs of own shares and price stabilisation 2/2008. If the first tranche should be expanded to cover purchases on other European trading venues than Oslo Stock Exchange, Equinor will inform the market in advance.</p>    <p>Upon completion of the first tranche of the programme, the Board of Directors will propose to the annual general meeting in 2020 to cancel the purchased shares and redeem the proportionate number of State shares. Any shares purchased in subsequent tranches will follow a similar process with cancellation and redemption at the following annual general meeting.</p>    <p><strong>Analyst conference:</strong></p>    <p>CFO Lars Christian Bacher will host an analyst call 5 September at 08:45 hr CEST. Please see phone numbers to dial below. Instructions will be given by the operator.</p>    <p>Norway: +47 23500243<br />United Kingdom: +44 3333000804<br />USA: +1 6319131422<br />France: +33170750711</p>    <p>Pincode: 12500895</p>    <p>Please see Equinor.com for webcast link.</p>    <p><strong>Further information:</strong></p>    <p><strong>Investor relations</strong><br />Peter Hutton, senior vice president, Investor Relations,<br />+44 7881 918 792 (mobile)</p>    <p>Helge Hove Haldorsen, vice president Investor Relations North America,<br />+1 281 224 0140 (mobile)</p>    <p><strong>Press</strong><br />B&#229;rd Glad Pedersen, vice president, Media Relations,<br />+47 918 01 791 (mobile)</p>    <p><em>This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act</em></p> </p><p /></body></html>
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