OAO Sovcomflot 9 months and Q3 ended 30 Sept 2014 results

sovcomflot

OAO Sоvсоmflоt tоdау (Wеdnеѕdау) rеlеаѕеd іtѕ results fоr the nіnе mоnthѕ and thіrd ԛuаrtеr еndеd 30th September. Commenting on the results, Sergey Frank, President and CEO of OAO Sovcomflot, said:

“Sovcomflot has performed strongly in the first nine months of 2014, with revenue and profits significantly ahead of the comparable period last year. These financial results reflect an improved freight rate environment over the period, especially within the crude oil segment of the tanker market. Equally, they demonstrate the benefits of our work to develop long-term relationships with ‘blue chip’ charterers across the globe, in order to provide safe and reliable transportation for their cargoes.
“During the period, we continued to focus on implementation of the Group’s strategy. This includes increasing the scale, range of services and contribution of our premium operations such as gas transportation and offshore support activities, with significant progress also being made in the seismic segment.
“The company took the delivery of two ultra-modern LNG carriers of the Velikiy Novgorod series, and a second VLCC (320,000 dwt). These ships are operated under long-term agreements with OAO Gazprom and Petrochina International (China) respectively. Elsewhere, we completed several important new long-term agreements, including for the construction and operation of four IBSV’s for Sakhalin Energy, and for a unique Arctic LNG carrier to serve the Yamal LNG project. The delivery of these vessels is scheduled from 2016 to 2017.”

Nikolai Kolesnikov, Senior Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer, commented:
“OAO Sovcomflot has benefited from stable liquidity, whilst improving its credit position, during the first nine months of 2014. Our earnings visibility remains good, with contracted future revenues at some USD 8.8 billion including our joint ventures.”
Highlights

• Gross revenue: nine months 2014 USD 1,059.2 million (+9.8 pct*); Q3 2014 USD 384.1 million (+14.2 pct*)
• Time charter equivalent (TCE) revenue: nine months 2014 USD 795.6 million (+20.3 pct*); Q3 2014 USD 304.9 million (+26.5 pct*)
• EBITDA: nine months 2014 USD 411.3 million (+36.5 pct*); Q3 2014 USD159.6 million (+47.6 pct*)
• Net Profit: nine months 2014 USD 109.1 million (9M 2013: USD 5.3 million loss); Q3 2014 USD 45.4 million (+494.6 pct*)
• Delivery of three new vessels of 604,100 tonnes DWT in total, comprising: two new/advanced design LNG tankers (Velikiy Novgorod and Pskov – each 170,200 m3 capacity) for long-term charter to Gazprom; a second VLCC, SCF Shanghai, on long-term time charter to PetroChina International (China)
• 20-year contract with Sakhalin Energy to build/operate four multi-functional ice breaking support vessels for the Sakhalin-2 offshore energy platforms
• Long term time charter for three ice-class shuttle tankers to export oil from Novy Port, Russia.
• Shuttle tankers Mikhail Ulyanov and Kirill Lavrov of enhanced ice-class (Lu6) have started transportation the Arctic oil field on the continental shelf of Russia (Pechora Sea).
• Nine transit voyages across the Northern Sea Route completed in the 2014 Arctic navigation season, as part of the Group’s long-term programme to develop maritime transportation for hydrocarbons in the Arctic basin.

• Seismic exploration vessel Vyacheslav Tikhonov (Ice Class Ice-1A) successfully completed 3D seismic research of the Kara Sea shelf for Gazprom.
*Comparative percentage increases on the previous nine months and Q3 to 30 September 2013

Fleet Summary

As at 30 September 2014, the SCF Group fleet comprised 153 owned and chartered vessels (including vessels in joint ownership with third parties) amounting to over 12.7 million tonnes DWT in total.

There were ten vessels under construction at the period end (total 423,200 tonnes DWT), including: two LNG carriers; one ice-breaking LNG carrier; three Arctic shuttle tankers; one multi-functional ice breaking supply (MIB) vessel; three MIB standby vessels all of which are scheduled for delivery between December 2014 and March 2017 and all of which are contracted to Oil Majors on long term fixed income charters.