LyondellBasell Reports Third-Quarter 2013 Results

HOUSTON and LONDON, Oct. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Third-Quarter 2013 Highlights

• Diluted earnings per share of $1.51; $854 million income from continuing operations
• EBITDA of $1,531 million
• Solid earnings and cash flow continued, supported by reliable operations and favorable crude oil and natural gas environment
• Completed scheduled maintenance turnaround at Clinton ethylene and polyethylene facility
• 13.5 million shares repurchased during the quarter

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE: LYB) today announced earnings from continuing operations for the third quarter 2013 of $1.51 diluted earnings per share or $854 million. Third quarter 2013 EBITDA was $1,531 million.  

Comparisons with the prior quarter and third quarter 2012 are shown below:

Results also reflect the following charges and benefits:

"We achieved solid third quarter results, with earnings of $1.51 per share and EBITDA of $1.53 billion," said CEO Jim Gallogly.  "This performance is sequentially down from the prior quarter due to scheduled maintenance at a U.S. olefins and polyolefins site and fewer market-related opportunities in our European olefins and polyolefins business. Refining results again proved difficult, pressured by an oversupplied gasoline market, spending for RIN's and plant maintenance."  

"During the quarter, we advanced our capital deployment program, purchasing shares and declaring dividends totaling $1.3 billion. Since authorization of the share repurchase program in May 2013 and through the close of the third quarter, approximately three percent of our outstanding shares have been repurchased," Gallogly said.

"Overall, we continued a pattern of steady results seen in recent quarters. Underlying this performance were safe, reliable operations coupled with the North American natural gas advantage. We are taking steps to further capitalize on this advantage. We are making significant progress on our expansion projects which will come online over the next two years.  First up will be the fourth-quarter completion of the methanol restart project followed by our La Porte ethylene debottleneck expansion mid next year. We expect to see our growth projects completed significantly ahead of our competition and add to our strong earnings profile," Gallogly said.

OUTLOOK

"The fundamentals that have supported our results remained intact during October. However, we have historically seen margin compression in products such as oxyfuels in winter months and slower polyolefin sales around the holiday season," Gallogly said. 

LYONDELLBASELL BUSINESS RESULTS DISCUSSION BY REPORTING SEGMENT

LyondellBasell operates in five business segments: 1) Olefins and Polyolefins – Americas; 2) Olefins and Polyolefins – Europe, Asia and International (EAI); 3) Intermediates and Derivatives; 4) Refining; and 5) Technology.

Olefins and Polyolefins - Americas (O&P-Americas) – The primary products of this segment include ethylene and its co-products (propylene, butadiene and benzene), polyethylene, polypropylene and Catalloy process resins. 

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended June 30, 2013 – EBITDA decreased $110 million versus the second quarter 2013. Compared to the prior period, olefins results decreased primarily due to a scheduled turnaround at Clinton, Iowa, a 1 cent per pound decline in ethylene contract price and higher raw material costs driven by higher propane, butane and naphtha prices in the third quarter. The Clinton turnaround impacted the quarter results by approximately $65 million. Combined polyolefin results increased from the second quarter 2013. Results benefitted from an approximately 2 cent per pound higher average polyethylene price and a 5 percent increase in polypropylene sales volumes. Joint venture equity income was relatively unchanged.

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended September 30, 2012 – EBITDA increased $27 million in the third quarter 2013 versus the third quarter 2012. Excluding the favorable impact of a $71 million lower of cost or market adjustment in the third quarter 2012, EBITDA increased $98 million, primarily due to higher polyethylene results. Olefins results decreased approximately $45 million compared to the prior year period partially due to the scheduled Clinton turnaround. The third quarter 2013 results benefitted from increased ethane cracking at a lower cost. Polyethylene results improved as a 9 cent per pound higher price more than offset a 4 percent volume decline. Polypropylene results were relatively unchanged. Joint venture equity income was relatively unchanged.

Olefins and Polyolefins - Europe, Asia, International (O&P-EAI) – The primary products of this segment include ethylene and its co-products (propylene and butadiene), polyethylene, polypropylene, global polypropylene compounds, Catalloy process resins and polybutene-1 resins. 

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended June 30, 2013 – EBITDA decreased $91 million versus the second quarter 2013. Olefin results decreased by approximately $75 million primarily due to a decline in olefin margins driven by higher feedstock costs and lower co-product values. Improved polyethylene margins offset a 10 percent decline in overall polyolefin sales volumes. Polypropylene compounds and polybutene-1 results decreased by approximately $15 million primarily due to lower margins related to raw material price volatility and a 5 percent decline in sales volumes. Equity income from joint ventures increased by $17 million from the second quarter 2013.

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended September 30, 2012 – EBITDA increased $102 million versus the third quarter 2012. Olefin results improved by approximately $70 million, a result of both higher margins and volumes. The higher olefin margins were driven by higher ethylene prices in the third quarter of 2013 versus the same period in 2012. Volumes were lower in the 2012 period as a result of an olefin turnaround at Wesseling, Germany.  Combined polyolefin results increased by approximately $20 million primarily as a result of improved margins. Polypropylene compounds and polybutene-1 results decreased by approximately $10 million from the prior year period as a result of lower margins related to raw material pricing lag. Equity income from joint ventures increased by $25 million from the third quarter 2012.

Intermediates and Derivatives (I&D) – The primary products of this segment include propylene oxide (PO) and its co-products (styrene monomer, tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA), isobutylene and tertiary butyl hydroperoxide), and derivatives (propylene glycol, propylene glycol ethers and butanediol), acetyls, ethylene oxide and its derivatives, and oxyfuels.  

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended June 30, 2013 – EBITDA increased $89 million versus the second quarter 2013. Results for PO and PO derivatives increased by approximately $20 million following the completion of second quarter turnarounds. Competitive pressure continued to impact butanediol and solvents margins due to oversupply in Asia. Intermediate chemicals results increased by approximately $65 million driven primarily by higher styrene margins and higher sales volumes following second quarter turnarounds. Oxyfuels results improved by approximately $15 million due to higher margins and volumes. Equity income from joint ventures was relatively unchanged.

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended September 30, 2012 – EBITDA decreased $48 million compared to the third quarter 2012. Results for PO and PO derivatives declined primarily due to weaker butanediol and solvents market conditions. Intermediate chemicals results increased as a result of higher styrene, acetyl and ethylene glycol margins. Oxyfuels results declined by approximately $60 million due to lower margins and volumes, which were stronger than typical in the third quarter of 2012. Equity income from joint ventures increased by $3 million from the third quarter 2012.

Refining – The primary products of this segment include gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, and petrochemical raw materials.

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended June 30, 2013 – EBITDA, including benefits from property tax assessments and legal settlements of $15 million, declined $12 million versus the second quarter 2013.  The Houston refinery operated at 250,000 barrels per day, down 15,000 barrels per day from the prior quarter due to maintenance work on an operating unit. The Maya 2-1-1 industry benchmark crack spread increased by $1.64 per barrel, averaging $23.22 per barrel. The refinery spread did not increase as the timing of crude purchases coupled with benchmark crude oil price volatility resulted in higher costs during the quarter. The cost of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) to meet U.S. renewable fuel standards decreased by $12 million versus the second quarter 2013.

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended September 30, 2012 – EBITDA decreased $142 million versus the third quarter 2012. Excluding the benefit of legal restitutions in both periods and the resolution of property tax assessments in third quarter 2013, EBITDA decreased by $133 million. The 250,000 barrels per day operating rate in the current quarter represents an increase of 10,000 barrels per day from the prior year period. Compared to the third quarter 2012, the decline in Maya 2-1-1 benchmark spread of $5.54 per barrel and higher natural gas costs negatively impacted results by approximately $110 million. The cost of RINs increased by $28 million compared to the same quarter last year.

Technology – The principal products of the Technology segment include polyolefin catalysts and production process technology licenses and related services.

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended June 30, 2013 – EBITDA decreased by $7 million primarily as a result of lower licensing revenues.

Three months ended September 30, 2013 versus three months ended September 30, 2012 – EBITDA increased by $3 million as higher catalyst sales and lower research and development costs more than offset lower licensing revenues versus the third quarter 2012.

Capital spending and cash balances

Capital expenditures, including growth projects, maintenance turnarounds, catalyst and information technology-related expenditures, were $423 million in the third quarter 2013. The cash balance was $4.4 billion at Sept. 30, 2013. We repurchased 13.5 million ordinary shares during the third quarter 2013. Dividends declared in the quarter totaled $280 million. In July, the company issued long-term bonds in an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion with an average interest rate of 4.6 percent.

CONFERENCE CALL

LyondellBasell will host a conference call Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. ET.  Participants on the call will include Chief Executive Officer Jim Gallogly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Karyn Ovelmen, Senior Vice President - Strategic Planning and Transactions Sergey Vasnetsov, and Vice President of Investor Relations Doug Pike. 

The toll-free dial-in number in the U.S. is 877-950-3594. A complete listing of toll-free numbers by country is available at www.lyondell.com/teleconference for international callers. The pass code for all numbers is 1231245.

A replay of the call will be available from 2 p.m. ET Oct. 29 until Nov. 29 at 11 p.m. ET.  The replay dial-in numbers are 888-667-5779 (U.S.) and +1 402-220-6423 (international). The pass code for each is 5421.

The slides that accompany the call will be available at http://www.lyondellbasell.com/earnings.

ABOUT LYONDELLBASELL

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) is one of the world's largest plastics, chemical and refining companies and a member of the S&P 500. LyondellBasell (www.lyondellbasell.com) manufactures products at 58 sites in 18 countries. LyondellBasell products and technologies are used to make items that improve the quality of life for people around the world including packaging, electronics, automotive parts, home furnishings, construction materials and biofuels. 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The statements in this release and the related teleconference relating to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially based on factors including, but not limited to, the business cyclicality of the chemical, polymers and refining industries; the availability, cost and price volatility of raw materials and utilities, particularly the cost of oil, natural gas, and associated natural gas liquids; competitive product and pricing pressures; labor conditions; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; operating interruptions (including leaks, explosions, fires, weather-related incidents, mechanical failure, unscheduled downtime, supplier disruptions, labor shortages, strikes, work stoppages or other labor difficulties, transportation interruptions, spills and releases and other environmental risks); the supply/demand balances for our and our joint ventures' products, and the related effects of industry production capacities and operating rates; our ability to achieve expected cost savings and other synergies; legal and environmental proceedings; tax rulings, consequences or proceedings; technological developments, and our ability to develop new products and process technologies; potential governmental regulatory actions; political unrest and terrorist acts; risks and uncertainties posed by international operations, including foreign currency fluctuations; and our ability to comply with debt covenants and service our debt.  Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the "Risk Factors" section of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, which can be found at www.lyondellbasell.com on the Investor Relations page and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

NON-GAAP MEASURES

This release makes reference to certain "non-GAAP" financial measures, such as EBITDA, as defined in Regulation G of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  We report our financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, but believe that certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as EBITDA, provide useful supplemental information to investors regarding the underlying business trends and performance of the company's ongoing operations and are useful for period-over-period comparisons of such operations. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP.

EBITDA, as presented herein, may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure reported by other companies due to differences in the way the measure is calculated. We calculate EBITDA as income from continuing operations plus interest expense (net), provision for (benefit from) income taxes, and depreciation & amortization.  EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to profit or operating profit for any period as an indicator of our performance, or as alternative to operating cash flows as a measure of our liquidity.

Quantitative reconciliations of EBITDA to net income, the most comparable GAAP measure, are provided in Table 9 at the end of this release.

OTHER FINANCIAL MEASURE PRESENTATION NOTES

This release contains time sensitive information that is accurate only as of the time hereof. Information contained in this release is unaudited and subject to change. LyondellBasell undertakes no obligation to update the information presented herein except to the extent required by law.

SOURCE LyondellBasell Industries