Essar Oil posts Rs 32 cr profit for Oct-Dec
Essar Oil today returned to black with a net profit of Rs 32 crore in the December quarter and said it had received RBI approval to raise USD 2.2 billion foreign currency loans to refinance expensive rupee debt.
Essar Oil, India's second largest private oil refiner, plans to raise around USD 2.2 billion in external commercial borrowings (ECB) shortly to refinance part of rupee loans totalling Rs 17,700 crore.
Net profit in October-December quarter at Rs 32 crore compared to Rs 362 crore of loss in the same period a year ago, company Managing Director & CEO Lalit K Gupta said in a media conference call from Mumbai.
The profit was mainly due to higher refining margin and larger processing of ultra heavy crude oil.
Company CFO Suresh Jain said Essar Oil had received Reserve Bank of India approval to raise ECBs of USD 2.2 billion.
"We are in discussion with banks," he said refusing to say when the company plans to raise the ECBs.
The foreign currency debt would help the company save USD 140-150 million, he said.
Essar's Vadinar refinery in Gujarat earned USD 9.75 on turning every barrel of crude oil into fuel in the third quarter as against a gross refining margin of USD 2.82 per barrel in the same period a year ago.
This "reflected the higher complexity benefits post completion of expansion and optimistion projects," Gupta said.
Sales was up 86 per cent to Rs 25,909 crore and in the first nine months the company has clocked a revenue of Rs 71,040 crore.
Gupta
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