Noble Energy Inc. swung to a multibillion-dollar loss as the oil-and-gas producer wrote down the value of assets amid the decline in energy prices. Still, excluding certain costs, Noble posted an unexpected profit on an adjusted basis, helped by cost cuts. The company said its unit operating costs were at the lowest level in eight years. Investors have been watching energy companies to see if they can reduce costs enough to match plummeting energy prices. For the quarter, Noble’s total operating costs averaged $6.93 per barrel of oil equivalent, down about 22% from the previous year. The company said total sales volumes for the quarter climbed 34% to 422,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. Noble said its average realized price for crude oil fell 44%, while its realized price for natural gas decreased 27%. The company said it would have capital expenditures of $1.5 billion in 2016, about […]