Malaysia’s Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PCG) said on Monday it plans to sell 50 percent of a polymers unit to Saudi Aramco’s wholly owned subsidiary, Aramco Overseas Holdings Cooperatief U.A. for US$ 900 million.
The sale, which was done at cost, was prompted by the desire to share project risk amid plans for Saudi Aramco to invest $7 billion into a Petronas oil refinery and petrochemical project in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor.
“The project is still at construction phase and the risk will remain high until project completion in 2019,” said PCG, a unit of, national oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), said in statement.
The deal follows on from an agreement in February in which Aramco Overseas will lake 50 percent of PRPC refinery and Cracker from Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Corporation (PRPC).
As part of the polymers deal, Saudi Aramco will supply up to 70 percent of the crude required by PRPC Refinery and Cracker which will help ensure sustainable feedstock supply for the polymers unit.
PCG said the sale would allow it to cut its capital spending budget, provide it with the financial flexibility to pursue other strategic growth projects and help it pursue future strategic collaborations with Saudi Aramco.
In May PCG told Reuters that it is looking to grow aggressively in specialty chemicals to meet demand in new regional markets and profit from higher margins. PCG said the sale will not have any material impact on its earnings for the financial year ending December 2017.
Petronas Chemicals makes oleiins, polymers, fertilisers and methanol among others. Petronas owns about 65 percent ofthe chemicals unit.
PCG reported a doubling in quarterly profit inthe first three month ofthe year, helped by higher prices and sales volume, but remained cautiousj about recovery in the petrochemicals market as crude prices remain volatile.
The chemicals manufacturer, a subsidiary of state-run energy firm Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), reported a first-quarter profit of 1.38 billion ringgit, compared with 671 million ringgit a year earlier.
Revenue rose 49 percent to 4.7 billion ringgit from the year-ago quarter. Sales volume increased 16 percent, While product prices rose by an average of 22 percent.
“Petrochemical product prices have risen in tandem and demand has also shown some improvement,” CEO Sazali Hamzah said in a statement. “Despite the improvements that we have seen so far, crude oil and as such petrochemical prices, is forecast to remain volatile.”
Jakarta Post, Page-15, Tuesday, October 3, 2017
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