LOTOS posts record high results

LOTOS posts record high results

Consolidated LIFO-based EBITDA, normalised to remove one-off items, reached almost PLN 2.6bn in 2016, 20% up on 2015. Consolidated LIFO-based EBIT soared 175% year on year, to PLN 1.9bn. Consolidated net profit for the year exceeded PLN 1bn, the best ever result delivered by the Group. To compare, in 2015 LOTOS reported a net loss of PLN 0.3bn. In 2016, LOTOS processed a record high volume of almost 10.4 million tonnes of crude oil, with the refinery’s capacity utilisation rate of 99%. The average daily output from the fields in Norway, Poland, and Lithuania was more than 26.6 thousand boe. LOTOS posted its record high results despite the challenging macroeconomic conditions. The average price of Brent oil in 2016 fell by 17% year on year, to USD 43.58/bbl. An even steeper decline was recorded in the average annual price of gas, which fell by as much as 29% (at the National Balancing Point), to USD 25.84/boe. Cash flows up, debt down In 2016, LOTOS generated operating cash flows in excess of PLN 2.7bn (compared with just under PLN 1.5bn in 2015), which is the best proof of the Company’s improving financial health. Net debt as at the end of 2016 was PLN 4.8bn, down PLN 0.9bn year on year. Net debt to normalised LIFO-based EBITDA was 1.8x (vs 2.6x in 2015). Higher reserves in Norway In 2016, 2P recoverable reserves attributable to LOTOS increased to 72.7 million boe (+9% year on year), following a major increase (by 8.5 million boe year on year) of the hydrocarbon potential in Norway due to reclassification of the Utgard field’s reserves. LOTOS Petrobaltic’s total [...]
Robert Pietryszyn: “Poland is not the biggest CO2 emitter in the EU”

Robert Pietryszyn: “Poland is not the biggest CO2 emitter in the EU”

Cristina Dascălu (CD): What are be the priorities you will advocate in Brussels, as Vice- Chairman of the Board of Directors of CEEP, representing the energy-intensive industry? Robert Pietryszyn: One of the most important drivers for the further development of the EU, and its position with respect to the biggest world economies, i.e. the USA, China, Japan, Russia and India, is competitiveness. In my opinion, increasing it, and witnessing the catch-up between the EU-15 and Central European countries, is one of the main problems of the EU. We can observe that from 2004, up till now, the GDP gap between the two parts of the EU has not got closer, and is even widening, showing the ratio as 3 to 1 (Euro 33.000 for the EU-15, to Euro 11.000 for Central Europe). Another great problem concerns the different approach to climate issues. In general, Central Europe outpaces the EU15 in terms of climate policy and CO2 decreases. Unfortunately, this is not a commonly known fact. By the way, the EU as a whole, already reached a 20% CO2 decrease in 2013. Again, this fact has not been publicised enough. Why is this? The policy concerning the Emission Trading System (ETS), shows that lower prices for EAU stimulated more investments and technological progress leading to the CO2 decreases in Central Europe, and the whole philosophy concerning backloading and the Market Stability Reserve (MSR), is not necessary at all for EU countries. Central Europe should invest in new technologies and the development of their industries within the frame of the general EU policy. This also means that each country should have [...]