Oil Refineries Announces Results For Third Quarter 2013

HAIFA, Israel, Nov. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Oil Refineries Ltd. (TASE: ORL.TA) (hereinafter "the Group," "ORL"), Israel's largest integrated refining and petrochemical group, announced its financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2013.  The Company will be hosting its earnings call for the third quarter 2013 on Monday, December 2, 2013 at 14:00 UK (9:00 ET, 16:00 Israel time).  Results are reported in US Dollars and under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). 

2013 THIRD QUARTER AND FIRST NINE MONTH HIGHLIGHTS

• The third quarter was characterized by lower benchmark refining margins, which is the main area of operation for the Company.
• In the third quarter of 2013, the adjusted refining margin totaled $5.5 per barrel, as compared with the average Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin of $1.1 per barrel.  In the third quarter of 2012, the adjusted refining margin totaled $5.3 per barrel as compared with the Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin of $5.1 per barrel.  The refining margin for the first nine months of 2013 totaled $5.4 per barrel as compared with the average Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin of $2.1 per barrel.  
• Revenues for third quarter totaled $2.6 billion compared with $2.4 billion in the second quarter last year.
• Adjusted operating income across all sectors totaled $33 million compared with $24 million in the same quarter last year.  Adjusted operating income across all sectors for the first nine months totaled $102 million compared with $5 million in the same period last year.
• Adjusted EBITDA totaled $71 million compared with $53 million in the same quarter last year.  Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months totaled $214 million compared with $94 million in the same period last year.
• Net loss for the quarter totaled $70 million compared with a net loss of $21 million in the same quarter last year. This can be mainly attributable mainly to one-off tax expense recorded in the quarter of $57 million attributable to a change in tax rates, as amended during the third quarter in the Capital Investments Law.
• Net financing expenses for the quarter totaled $48 million compared with $47 million in the same quarter last year.
• Since the beginning of this year the Company paid of $247 million of its debt.
• During the quarter the Company succeeded in raising $116 million in bonds, which extends the average maturity of the debt, improves liquidity and increases the Company's financial flexibility. 

Mr. Arik Yaari, CEO of Oil Refineries:  "We are currently implementing an action plan formulated by the Group to improve the Company's liquidity, profitability and competitive ability while ensuring debt repayment and financial strength. The plan is based on three main components:

• A capital raising in the amount of $150 million, backed by support from the controlling shareholders, for the participation in a rights issue.
• Improving liquidity with an additional $200-250 million, through agreements with the banks and financial institutions..
• Implementing efficiency measures and improving profitability, in full cooperation with the Company's employees, totaling at least $100 million.

"These measures will enhance the Company's ability to operate successfully even during a challenging business environment with low margins.

"It is important to emphasize that the Group, even during this quarter, continues to demonstrate improvements in its operating profit across all areas of its operations.  The ongoing contribution of the natural gas supply and hydrocracker enable the Company to produce refining margin higher than the benchmark margin, which is at an all time - almost unprecedented – low.  We believe that ORL will continue to produce this premium for quite some time."

RESULTS ACCORDING TO SECTORS:

Refining

• The Company continues to generate higher refining margins than the benchmark average due to the optimal utilization of the Company's upgraded refining capabilities. The transition to natural gas and the contribution of the hydrocracker since the first quarter of 2013, enabled the Company to demonstrate ongoing higher refining margins, reducing the impact of the historically low benchmark average margins.   
• In the third quarter of 2013, the adjusted refining margin totaled $5.5 per barrel, as compared with the average Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin of $1.1 per barrel. In the third quarter of 2012, the adjusted refining margin totaled $5.3 per barrel as compared with the Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin of $5.1 per barrel.
• In the first nine months of 2013, the adjusted refining margin totaled $5.4 per barrel, as compared with the average Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin of $2.1 per barrel. In the first nine months of 2012, the adjusted refining margin totaled $5.2 per barrel as compared with the Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin of $4.6 per barrel.

Polymers

• In looking at the Company's results over the first nine months of 2013, the improvement in polymers can be attributed to improved polymer spreads over Naphtha and the Company's transition to natural gas.
• Operating income for the third quarter totaled $10 million, a similar result in the corresponding quarter last year.  For the first nine months of 2013 operating income totaled $26 million, compared with an operating loss of $44 million in the corresponding period last year.
• EBITDA for the third quarter totaled $23 million, compared with $21 million in the corresponding quarter last year.  EBITDA in the first nine months of 2013 totaled $62 million, compared with a negative EBITDA of $10 million in the corresponding period last year. 

Aromatics and Oils

• Operating income for the third quarter totaled $10 million, compared with $7 million in the corresponding quarter last year.  For the first nine months of 2013 operating income totaled $17 million, compared with an operating loss of $1 million in the corresponding period last year.
• EBITDA for the third quarter totaled $12 million, compared with $9 million in the corresponding quarter last year.  EBITDA in the first nine months of 2013 totaled $24 million, compared with $6 million in the corresponding period last year. 

Environmental & Social Responsibility

Maintaining compliance within the social and environmental realm, while maintaining good relations with the relevant authorities, is a strategic goal for ORL. In the Company's facilities there are numerous environmental projects underway, with two major projects cited as a top priority:

• A large project, expected to be completed in the coming months, involves installing advanced systems for odors, a technology approved by the Ministry of Environment. This operating system is expected to significantly lower the emissions of volatile organic compounds and be another step in improving the air quality of the Group's facilities.
• Another project is the purchase and installation of a complex and innovative system which will enable advanced treatment of ethylene emissions from the Group's facilities.

THIRD QUARTER RESULTS 2013 ($ millions)

Adjusted Operating Income by Sector

EBITDA by Sector

Conference Call

The conference call will take place on Monday December 2, 2013 at 14:00 UK (9:00 ET, 16:00 Israel time). On the call, management will review and discuss the third quarter 2013 financial results and will be available to answer questions.

To participate, please call one of the following teleconferencing numbers.  Please begin placing your calls at least 10 minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, please try the international dial-in number.

US Dial-in Numbers:  1-866-744-5399
UK Dial-in Number:  0-808-101-2717
Israel Dial-in Number:  03-918-0663
International Dial-in Number:  +972-3-918-0663

at: 14:00 UK Time, 9:00 ET, 6:00 PT, 16:00 Israel time.  A replay of the call will be available after the call on the Company's website at www.orl.co.il.

The conference call will be accompanied by a presentation available for download from the Company's website, www.orl.co.il, under investor relations.

Oil Refineries' earnings press release and financial statements will be available on the Company's website – www.orl.co.il for the call. 

About Oil Refineries Ltd.

Oil Refineries Ltd. (ORL), located in the bay area of the city of Haifa, operates Israel's largest integrated refining and petrochemical group. It is one of the leading refineries in the Eastern Mediterranean area and integrates, on-site, petrochemical businesses. ORL runs sophisticated and state-of-the-art industrial facilities with a refining capacity of 9.8 million tons of crude oil per year and a Nelson Complexity Index of 9, providing a variety of quality products used in industrial operation, transportation, private consumption, agriculture and infrastructure. Besides production of fuels, the company produces in its wholly owned subsidiaries Polymers (through Carmel Olefins Ltd), Aromatics (through Gadiv Petrochemical Industries Ltd), and Lube-Oils (through Haifa Basic Oils Ltd). The Company's shares are listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker ORL. For additional information please visit www.orl.co.il.

ORL is controlled by the Israel Corporation Ltd. and Israel Petrochemical Enterprises Ltd., both public companies whose shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

The above noted in this release includes forward-looking statements based on Company data, as well as Company plans and estimations based on this data. The activity, results and other data may be substantially different in reality given uncertainty and various risks, including those discussed under risk factors in the Company's financial statements and Director's report

The attached notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements

The attached notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements

SOURCE Oil Refineries Ltd.