Yansab records losses during Q3 2022

Yanbu National Petrochemical Co. (Yansab) reported a net profit after Zakat and tax of SAR 510.6 million in the first nine months of 2022, a 57% decrease from SAR 1.196 billion in the year-ago period, said Argaam.

The profit decline was attributed to higher production inputs average cost and lower average preliminary selling prices for all of the products resulting from changes in the market price and higher shipment cost, despite higher production and sales.

In Q3 2022, the company turned to a net loss after Zakat and tax of SAR 61 million, against a profit of SAR 179.78 million in the year before.

On a sequential basis, the company’s net profit fell from SAR 288.5 million in Q2 2022.

Shareholders’ equity, after minority interest, fell to SAR 14.207 billion as of Sept. 30, 2022, from SAR 14.652 billion in the year-earlier period.

We remind, Yanbu National Petrochemical Co (Yansab)’s net profit fell by 51.6% year on year in the second quarter on the back of higher costs. Q2 net profit was weighed by higher production costs despite higher sales volumes, it said in a filing to the Saudi bourse, Tadawul. Q2 gross profit was down by 48.23% year on year at SR399.7m.
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Aramco announced the creation of a USD1.5 billion Sustainability Fund to invest in technology that can support a stable and inclusive energy transition, said the company.

It was unveiled at the sixth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) and is among the largest sustainability-focused venture capital funds globally.

Managed by Aramco Ventures, the venture capital arm of Aramco, the fund is an extension of the Company’s efforts to meet the world’s growing energy demand, with lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The fund plans to invest in technologies that support the Company’s announced net-zero 2050 ambition in its wholly-owned operational assets, as well as development of new lower-carbon fuels. Initial focus areas will include carbon capture and storage, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, nature-based climate solutions, digital sustainability, hydrogen, ammonia and synthetic fuels. The fund will target investments globally.

In addition, Aramco’s wholly-owned subsidiary Aramco Trading Company has participated in the first voluntary carbon credits auction organized by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). It follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Aramco and PIF earlier this year, to participate in a regional voluntary carbon market to be launched in Saudi Arabia in 2023.

Aramco Chairman, H.E. Yasir O. Al-Rumayyan, said: “Climate change is a critical issue, which is why sustainability is well-integrated in Aramco’s strategy and investment decisions. The Company is harnessing innovation and collaboration as it seeks long-term solutions to global energy challenges. By driving large-scale investments and building key domestic, regional and international partnerships, Aramco aims to enable a stable and inclusive energy transition that meets the world’s need for energy with lower emissions.”

As per MRC, Saudi Aramco has told at least three customers in North Asia they will receive full contract volumes of crude oil in November.

We remind, Saudi Arabian Oil Company (“Aramco”) inaugurated the Aramco Research Center at KAUST (ARC KAUST), which aims to accelerate the development of low-carbon solutions for the energy industry using advanced analytics. Strategically located within the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the newly established research hub deploys artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop innovative ways to advance low-carbon solutions and enable a Circular Carbon Economy.
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Seoul Hyundai Chemical, a joint venture of Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte Chemical, has completed construction on a new heavy-feed petrochemical complex (HPC) at Hyundai Oilbank's Daesan complex in South Korea, reported Yonhap News Agency citing South Korea's industry ministry, as per Apic-online.

PCN earlier reported that the project would cost around $2.5-billion and include the production of 750,000 t/y of polyethylene and 400,000 t/y of propylene (PCN, 4 Feb 2019, p 4). Operations had been expected to begin at the end of 2021.

According to the industry ministry, the new complex will have the capacity to produce 850,000 t/y of ethylene and 500,000 t/y of polypropylene.

This HPC project has heightened the competitiveness of the domestic petrochemical industry, said the report quoting Second Vice Industry Minister Park-Il June.

The government will ease regulations to help companies better achieve goals through new projects and investment.

We remind, Axens and Hyundai Chemical Co. successfully achieve the start-up of the pyrolysis gasoline (Pygas) unit, part of the Hyundai Chemical petrochemical grassroots complex in Daesan, South Korea. The product has been on-specification regarding the aromatics recovery and the sulfur content in a short period. Thanks to the strong support of Axens personnel on-site during the commissioning and start-up activities, Axens and Hyundai Chemical, started-up the Pygas units (Pygas first and second stage) in December 2021, few months after entering into a collaboration.
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Braskem Q3 resin sales volume in Brazil remained stable compared with the same period last year, the Brazilian producer said in its quarterly production and sales report, said the company.

Compared with Q2, sales volume rose by 2% due to the higher product availability for sale after the conclusion of the scheduled maintenance shutdowns in Q2 2022 and by the stronger demand for resins due to seasonality.

Q3 exports decreased by 17% from Q3 2021 because of lower opportunities in the international market given the high inventories in the global chain. Compared with Q2, exports decreased by 18% also on fewer opportunities in the international market.

The average utilisation rate of crackers was stable compared with Q3 2021, the Brazilian producer said. Compared with Q2, the average utilisation rate increased by 5 percentage points by the process of resuming operations after scheduled maintenance shutdowns at the petrochemical complex in Rio Grande do Sul and at the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in Alagoas, which had affected the utilisation rate of the petrochemical complex in Bahia.

In Mexico, Q3 polyethylene (PE) sales increased by 13% compared with Q3 2021, pushed by the higher product availability for sale given the increase in ethane supply in the period, the company said. Compared with Q2, PE sales decreased by 5% due to the replenishment of Braskem Idesa’s inventories in the period.

We remind, Braskem, the market leader and pioneer in bioproducts production on an industrial scale, and Sojitz, a Japan-oriented global trading company, have announced the launch of Sustainea, which will produce and market bioMEG (monoethylene glycol) and bioMPG (monopropylene glycol). The market launch of the brand follows the approval of the joint venture (the process began in March 2022) by antitrust authorities.
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Advanced Petrochemical Co. posted a 54% fall in net profit after Zakat and tax to SAR 301 million in the first nine months of 2022, compared to SAR 654 million a year earlier, said Argaam.

The petrochemical producer recorded a 9% drop year-on-year (YoY) in selling prices, and a decline of SAR 100 million in its profit share from SK Advanced Co. Ltd. It also reported an increase in propane and propylene purchase prices by 32% and 10% YoY, respectively. The nine-month results were also weighed by an increase of 105% YoY in offshore logistics expenses.

The lower profit came despite a 17% YoY rise in sales volumes. In Q3 2022, net profit after Zakat and tax plunged 88% to SAR 27 million, compared to SAR 217.76 million in Q3 2021. Selling prices fell by 22% YoY. Propane purchase prices increased 6%. However, propylene price declined 5% YoY and sales volume went up 4% YoY.

Compared to the previous quarter, the company’s net profit tumbled 75.4% from SAR 109.60 million, on lower selling prices.

Total shareholders’ equity, excluding minority interest, came in at SAR 3.240 billion by the end of September 2022, down from SAR 3.991 billion in the year-earlier period.

We remind, Advanced Petrochemical Company, based in Saudi Arabia, said that one of its subsidiary, Advanced Polyolefins Industry Company has signed several agreements worth USD1.6 B to fund the construction of plants at Jubail Industrial City II. The project includes a development of a propane dehydrogenation plant with a total annual capacity of 843,000 tons in addition to a polypropylene (800,000 tons) and a isopropanol facility (70,000 tons),
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