Gazprom Sells 49% More Gas to Europe in 1Q
Russian giant Gazprom on August 10 reported a $5.6bn net profit in January-March 2016, a fall of only 5.2% year-on-year, achieved chiefly by selling almost half as much gas again to Europe.
Gazprom itself said the slight profit decline showed its “ability to manage challenging environment through diversification of income streams” at a time when “the majority of the peer group have seen double-digit percentage reduction in net income.”
The figures, provided to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), show net income of rubles 362.3bn ($5.6bn) compared with its 1Q 2015 figure of rubles 382.1bn.
Gazprom's sales volume to its core ‘Europe and other’ markets in 1Q grew by 49% to 58.1bn m³, an increase of 19bn m³ on 39.1bn m³ in January-March 2015. Sales to former Soviet countries declined by 15.5% (by 2bn m³) to 10.9bn m³, while those in Russia declined more modestly to 75.4bn m³, just 6% or 4.9bn m³ less than in 1Q 2015.
Despite the big rise in sales to the west, sales proceeds grew just 5% to rubles 1,737.4bn while operating profit was down by a third to rubles 302bn.
Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller (centre) at the 40th anniversary celebration of Russian gas supplies to France in December 2015 in Paris, as Engie's then CEO Gerald Mestrallet looks on (Photo credit: Gazprom)
Gazprom’s average gas price realised in Europe and non-FSU markets in 1Q 2016 fell by 22% in ruble terms year-on-year to $216.95 (or 14,049.3 rubles)/000 ft3 including excise tax and customs duties – equivalent to just $6/mn Btu. In contrast, its Russian sales price including value-added tax increased 9% to 3,872.9 rubles/’000 ft³. For other FSU states it was 13% lower at 11,741.3 rubles/’000 ft³.
Mark Smedley