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Caltex sees higher 1H sales volumes

  • Spanish Market: Crude oil, Oil products
  • 25/08/14

Refiner and marketing firm Caltex Australia saw higher oil product sales volumes help underpin an 11pc rise in revenue to A$12.77bn ($11.88bn) during January-July against the same period a year earlier.

Product volumes rose to 10.3bn litres (358,000 b/d) versus 10.2bn l in the 2013 first half. Sales were also boosted by a lower Australian dollar against the US dollar for the same period.

Total diesel volumes rose 7.5pc to 3.7bn l in the first half because of stronger demand from the mining and marine sectors. Jet fuel sales rose 11.3pc to 1.3bn l. There is modest transport fuels demand growth for Australia in the medium term, Caltex said, with diesel demand to rise by 2.5pc on a compound annual growth rate during 2013-20, while gasoline demand will fall by 2.5pc during the same period. Jet fuel demand is forecast to rise by 4pc.

The 109,000 b/d Lytton refinery in Brisbane, Queensland reported total production of 2.9bn l in the first half compared with 5.4bn l for all of 2013.

The conversion of the 135,000 b/d Kurnell refinery in Sydney to an import terminal is on target to start by October this year. Caltex has made its final crude purchase for Kurnell and has now commissioned its jet and diesel import systems.

The company will lose 350 jobs across operational and support functions, mostly in this year's fourth final, which are in addition to job losses with the conversion of Kurnell. The financial impact is yet to be finalised but is estimated to be A$130mn-$155mn before tax.

Caltex reported a 1pc rise in profit on a cost replacement basis to A$173mn during January-July against A$171mn in the 2013 first half. After tax on a historical cost basis for the first half fell 17pc to A$163mn from A$195mn a year earlier. This was because of crude and product inventory losses of A$10mn after tax compared with a gain of A$24mn after tax in the same period a year earlier.

Caltex has lowered its capital expenditure forecast to between A$520mn and A$585mn compared with A$580mn to $670mn in the same period a year earlier. It said about A$40mn of the Kurnell conversion capital expenditure for the wharf and tank conversions are being deferred to 2015 for operational reasons.

km/rjd

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