Russia’s largest shipping company and a global leader in the provision of seaborne energy solutions, Sovcomflot, announced on Monday (Mar 21) its results for the year to 31 December 2015.
2015 Financial Highlights (IFRS audited accounts):
- Gross revenue (freight and hire) for the year ended 31 December 2015 increased by 7.6 per cent to USD 1,483.0 million (2014: USD 1,378 1,377.9 million).
- Time charter equivalent (TCE)* revenues for the year increased by 18.8 per cent to USD 1,240.1 million (2014: USD 1,044 million).
- Earnings before interest, tax and depreciation (EBITDA)** were USD 742.6 million, an increase of 38.0 per cent on the previous year (2014: USD 538.2 million).
- Net profit increased 4.2 fold to USD 354.5 million (2014: USD 83.9 million)
*Time charter equivalent (TCE) represents shipping revenues less voyage expenses and is commonly used in the shipping industry to measure financial performance and to compare revenue generated from a voyage charter to revenue generated from a time charter
**Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation
Image: SCF
2015 Operating Highlights by Business Segments:
Crude Oil Transportation
This is Sovcomflot’s largest business segment and included 59 vessels as at 31 December 2015 (2014: 60 vessels).
TCE revenue for the year ended 31 December 2015 increased by 28.7 per cent to USD 542.1 million (2014: USD 421.1 million). With global oil prices remaining depressed throughout 2015, Sovcomflot benefited from a significant increase in demand for crude oil tanker transportation.
Oil Products Transportation
This segment includes the transportation of refined petroleum, other oil products and chemicals. This fleet serving this business segment comprised 34 vessels as at 31 December 2015 (2014: 43 vessels).
TCE revenue for the period ended 31 December 2015 was USD 240.3 million (2014: USD 213.5 million), an increase of 12.6 per cent over the previous year with a significantly smaller fleet than in 2014.
During the year, Sovcomflot completed a modernization programme for LR I tankers, to improve their fuel-efficiency and to further reduce their environmental impact in line with the latest IMO and European directives.
Gas Transportation
This includes both LNG and LPG gas tankers, comprising 4 LNG carriers and 4 LPG carriers at the end of 2015 (2014: 2 LNG carriers and 4 LPG carriers). Sovcomflot also operates 4 LNG carriers owned through joint ventures and serving Sakhalin-2 and Tangguh projects (2014: unchanged).
TCE revenues increased by 65.3 per cent to USD 137.5 million (2014: USD 83.2 million). This result reflects a significant increase in Sovcomflot’s capacity, following the delivery of the 170,200 m3 cargo capacity LNG carriers SCF Melampus and SCF Mitre during the year. These vessels are the third and fourth respectively in a series of advanced design Atlanticmax vessels, each having an ‘Ice2’ ice class rating. Both ships are employed on a long-term time charter to Royal Dutch Shell.
In March, Sovcomflot’s LNG carrier Grand Elena completed her 100th voyage transporting gas from Prigorodnoye to Japan. Together with her sister ship Grand Aniva, the vessels have provided safe and dependable transportation from the Sakhalin LNG liquefaction facility since 2009.
Offshore Development Services
This comprises Sovcomflot’s shuttle tanker operations and specialised supply vessels. As of the 2015 year end, the fleet comprised 13 shuttle tankers and 4 ice breaking supply vessels (2014: unchanged).
TCE revenues for the year ended 31 December 2015 were USD 228.8 million (2014: USD 222.4 million), representing an increase of 2.9 per cent on the previous year.
In April a steel-cutting ceremony was held at Samsung Heavy Industries (Busan, South Korea) for Sovcomflot’s latest Arctic reinforced ice class Arc-7 shuttle tanker. The vessel is the first in a series of three, ordered by Sovcomflot under a long-term time charter agreement to transport oil from the Novoportovskoye oil field. Construction of this vessel is due for completion in July 2016.
Other
This business segment includes multi-purpose and bulk cargo carriers, primarily for coal transportation, seismic vessels and other activities. At the end of 2015, the fleet comprised 2 bulk carriers (2014: 3) and 1 chartered seismic vessel (2014: unchanged).
In the year ended 31 December 2015, TCE revenue declined by 11.9 per cent to USD 91.4 million (2014: USD 103.8 million), in part reflecting a smaller fleet compared with the previous year.
Source: SCF Group