State-controlled PetroChina's profit surged in the third quarter, as proceeds from the sale of its Chinese pipeline assets helped mask weaker market conditions this year.
PetroChina made a profit of 40.05bn yuan ($5.97bn) for July-September, up more than fourfold from Yn8.83bn a year earlier. The company completed the sale of most of its oil and gas pipelines and some storage facilities to the newly formed PipeChina at the end of the quarter, for which it booked a profit of Yn45.82bn for January-September.
January-September profit fell by 73pc from a year earlier to Yn10.07bn, although this was a sharp recovery from a loss of Yn30bn for January-June.
Crude production rose by 2.7pc to 701.2mn bl (2.56mn b/d) during January-September, driven mainly by gains in PetroChina's overseas fields. Total upstream production was up by 4.3pc to 1.21bn bl of oil equivalent (442,000 boe/d).
Lower oil and gas prices pushed operating profit in the firm's exploration and production segment down by 74pc to Yn20bn during January-September, although profit rebounded for July-September after a loss in the previous quarter.
PetroChina's refining and chemicals operations fell to a loss of Yn1.67bn during January-September from a Yn9bn profit in the same period last year, hit by a fall in demand, prices and margins. Output of all refined products fell, although petrochemical yields rose. Performance picked up in the latest quarter as markets strengthened.
PetroChina (mn b/d) | ||||
Jan-Jun 2020 | Jan-Jun 2019 | Jul-Sep 2020 | Jul-Sep 2019 | |
Crude throughputs | 3.12 | 3.30 | 3.36 | 3.35 |
Gasoline output | 1.02 | 1.15 | 1.11 | 1.15 |
Diesel output | 1.06 | 1.08 | 1.06 | 1.14 |
Jet-kerosine output | 0.18 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 0.29 |
Source: PetroChina, Argus calculations |