Malaysia's Petronas posts lower H1 profit amid global market volatility
Adds details from on revenue, capital investments, and business performance in paragraphs 4; 6-10
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 -Malaysia's state energy firm Petroliam Nasional (Petronas) IPO-PETO.KL on Thursday said it would look to recognise priorities for growth and ensure energy security amid heightened market volatility, as it posted a drop in profit in the first half of the year.
Petronas reported a profit after tax of 32.4 billion ringgit ($7.48 billion) in the first half, down from 40.2 billion ringgit in the same period of 2023, due to deconsolidation of subsidiaries and higher taxation during the period.
Revenue in the first half grew 2% to 171.7 billion ringgit ($39.62 billion), compared to 169 billion ringgit in the corresponding period last year.
The rise in revenue was partially offset by lower energy prices, particularly for liquefied natural gas, the firm said.
"Persistent policy changes and a fragile global economy have weighed their way on demand and growth, and these have redefined market areas," Petronas' Chief Executive Officer Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz told reporters.
Tengku Muhammad Taufik said he expects crude oil prices to trade rangebound between $70-$80 in the near term "unless there is an unwanted downward surprise from China".
The firm did not provide performance figures for the second quarter. In the first quarter of 2024, Petronas reported profit of 21.3 billion ringgit ($4.91 billion), a near 11% decline from the corresponding period a year ago.
Petronas' upstream business saw a 13% annual rise in post-tax profit to 21.4 billion ringgit in the first half of the year.
Its gas business, however, fell 47% to 8.6 billion ringgit, while its downstream business slipped 58% to 0.8 billion ringgit.
Capital investments rose 20% to 25.7 billion ringgit, mainly in energy solutions and decarbonisation projects, Petronas said.
It reported a 5.1% drop in carbon emissions from the first half of 2023 through hydrocarbon venting and flaring, as well as by reducing electricity demand.
($1 = 4.3340 ringgit)
Reporting by Danial Azhar; Writing by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Martin Petty
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