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Australian fuel merchant Ampol's Q1 output drops after steam failure, Red Sea hold-ups

Australian fuel seller Ampol reported a 7.3% drop in firstquarter output from its Lytton refinery in Queensland on Tuesday, pointing out a steam interruption and delays due to the continuous Red Sea crisis.

The firm posted refinery production of 1,381 million litres for the three months ended March 31, compared to 1,490 million litres tape-recorded in the very same quarter in 2015.

Houthi rebel attacks against business vessels taking a trip through the essential Red Sea shipping channel, which started last year, have actually successfully interrupted worldwide oil materials.

Ampol, which is the country's biggest fuel provider and owns fuel stations throughout Australia, published a first-quarter refinery margin of $11.80 per barrel from its Lytton operations, missing Jefferies' estimate of $13 per barrel.

The fall in margin might be credited to decreased fracture spreads and a decline in international crude prices in the middle of geopolitical tensions that have actually led to supply disruption concerns.

Ampol said its profits before interest and tax on a. replacement cost basis for its non-refining divisions for the. March quarter remained in line with the A$ 345.4 million ($ 226.79. million) it posted last year. The company did not divulge an. RCOP EBIT number for the noted quarter.

Brokerage company Jefferies had estimated an EBIT of A$ 311. million.

(source: Reuters)