Upstream EBITDA jumped to USD 576mn in Q2 2022 and simplified free cash flow generation rose to USD 504mn, due to the more than 40 USD/barrel uplift of Brent oil price year-on-year and the more than fourfold increase in spot gas prices. Upstream was the biggest free cash-flow contributor to MOL Group's results in the first half of 2022, delivering 60% of the total number. The oil and gas production volume averaged at 92.4 mboepd, above the annual guidance but declined by almost 6% compared to the same period last year, mainly due to the natural production decline and the lower ACG net entitlement production affected by the higher oil prices.

Consumer Services EBITDA collapsed in Q2 2022, decreased by 72% year-on-year to USD 46mn, due to the price cap regulations in Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Hungary, one-off and recurring retail taxes also contributed to the negative performance. Regulated pricing boosted consumption artificially, sales volumes in most of MOL's Central and Eastern European markets continued to rise, it represented a 16% year-on-year increase in Q2 2022. Transaction numbers increased by 9% year-on-year, strong customer presence helped non-fuel margin-generation that partly mitigated the negative drivers. The number of Fresh Corner sites rose to 1,103 in Q2 from 1,081 in the previous quarter.

Downstream Q2 2022 Clean CCS EBITDA reached USD 863mn, driven by positive and negative effects: in this period, diminishing petrochemicals contribution was offset by high refining EBITDA generation. Petrochemicals sales decreased significantly as a result of planned maintenance in Q2 2022, and this segment's margins were also significantly lower than last year's numbers. Newly introduced, refining-related windfall tax in Hungary affected Downstream's performance and it will affect it even more in the next quarters.

Gas Midstream Q2EBITDA fell by 33% compared to the same period last year to USD 15mn, due to four times higher gas consumption cost and the weakening HUF against the USD. While transmission volumes to gas storages increased by almost 25%, both domestic transmission volumes and total export transmission volumes declined significantly in Q2 year-on-year, in consequence of the regional and EU gas market uncertainty.

Innovative Businesses and Services segment reached a milestone as MOL won the Hungarian state concession tender covering total municipal waste management services for a period of 35 years, with a commencement date of 1 July, 2023. This opportunity allows MOL to further widen its value chain, provides access to new waste-to-energy generation capacities and is in line with MOL's 2030+ strategy, "Shape Tomorrow" regarding its commitment to invest into circular economy.

Additional information: The Washington-based ICSID court of arbitration delivered its verdict in the case between Croatia and MOL, the court unanimously rejected Croatia's objection that the agreements concluded in 2009 are a results of criminal conduct and delivered a ruling that Croatia caused substantial losses to INA, therefore MOL was awarded a total of USD 236mn in damages.

About MOL Group

MOL Group is an international, integrated oil, gas, petrochemicals, and consumer retail company, headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. It is active in over 30 countries with a dynamic international workforce of 24,000 people and a track record of more than 100 years. MOL Group operates three refineries and two petrochemical plants under integrated supply chain-management in Hungary, Slovakia, and Croatia, and owns a network of almost 2,000 service stations across 9 countries in Central and Southeast Europe. MOL's exploration and production activities are supported by more than 85 years' experience in the field of hydrocarbons and 30 years in the injection of CO2. At the moment, there are producing assets in 8 countries and exploration activities in 6 countries. MOL is committed to transforming its traditional fossil-fuel-based operations into a low-carbon, sustainable business model and aspires to become net carbon neutral by 2050, while shaping the low-carbon circular economy in Central and Eastern Europe.

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@: internationalpress@mol.hu

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MOL plc published this content on 05 August 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 04 August 2022 22:03:53 UTC.