abarrelfull wrote on 08 Nov 2012 07:39
Tags: alon n-america refinery usa
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Alon USA Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ALJ) ("Alon") today announced results for the third quarter of 2012. Net income for the third quarter of 2012 was $43.2 million, or $0.76 per share, compared to net income of $28.6 million, or $0.51 per share, for the same period last year. Excluding special items, Alon recorded net income of $47.6 million, or $0.84 per share, for the third quarter of 2012, compared to net income of $39.0 million, or $0.70 per share, for the same period last year.
Net income for the first nine months of 2012 was $56.9 million, or $1.01 per share, compared to net income of $55.4 million, or $1.00 per share, for the same period last year. Excluding special items, Alon recorded net income of $91.3 million, or $1.62 per share, for the first nine months of 2012, compared to net income of $74.5 million, or $1.35 per share, for the same period last year.
Paul Eisman, CEO and President, commented, "We are pleased with our third quarter results, and the positive impact these results are having on our balance sheet. The Company continues to benefit from good operations in a positive margin environment. During the third quarter, we increased throughput at each of our refineries versus the second quarter, and also realized increased sales in both Asphalt Marketing and Alon Brands. We generated very favorable operating margins of $28.19 per barrel at our Big Spring Refinery and $11.28 per barrel at our Krotz Springs Refinery. In Krotz Springs we processed on average a record of over 23,000 barrels per day of WTI.
"During the third quarter, we generated over $100 million of cash flow from operating activities, which was used to reduce total debt by $75 million. We were able to achieve this even though our reported results for the quarter were negatively impacted by $39 million of losses on commodity swap hedge positions comprised of $34 million of realized losses and $5 million of unrealized losses.
"We filed an amendment to the Form S-1 of Alon USA Partners, LP. We intend to use the net proceeds of the offering to reduce our outstanding indebtedness.
"California remains challenging from an asphalt refining perspective, as low demand and value for produced asphalt in a high cost West Coast crude environment led to disappointing financial results. We are currently evaluating alternatives to improve the short and long term profitability of our California refining operations. With the end of the asphalt season, we are suspending refining operations in California. As mentioned last quarter, we have submitted permit applications to ship via rail lighter mid-continent crudes to replace the heavier West Coast crudes currently used in the California system. We expect to receive these permits, as well as to complete required infrastructure build out and to enter into the required supply arrangements, by the fourth quarter of 2013.
"For the fourth quarter of 2012, we expect the average throughput at the Big Spring refinery to be approximately 71,000 barrels per day and 74,000 barrels per day at the Krotz Springs refinery. At Krotz Springs, we expect to process 25,000 barrels per day of WTI increasing to 30,000 barrels per day of WTI by year end."
THIRD QUARTER 2012
Special items reduced earnings by $4.4 million for the third quarter of 2012 which included after-tax losses of $2.8 million associated with unrealized losses on commodity swaps and $1.6 million associated with loss recognized on disposition of assets. Special items reduced earnings by $10.4 million for the third quarter of 2011 which primarily included an after-tax loss associated with heating oil call option crack spread contracts.
Refinery operating margin at the Big Spring refinery was $28.19 per barrel for the third quarter of 2012 compared to $23.05 per barrel for the same period in 2011. This increase is mainly due to higher Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spreads and a widening sweet/sour spread. Refinery operating margin at the California refineries was $0.12 per barrel for the third quarter of 2012, compared to $3.64 per barrel for the same period in 2011. This decrease is mainly due to the cost of crude oil used by the refinery. The Krotz Springs refinery operating margin was $11.28 per barrel for the third quarter of 2012, compared to $7.77 per barrel for the same period in 2011. This increase is mainly due to lower crude oil costs with the addition of WTI priced crude oils and higher Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spreads.
The refineries' combined refinery throughput for the third quarter of 2012 averaged 171,086 barrels per day ("bpd"), consisting of 69,563 bpd at the Big Spring refinery, 32,298 bpd at the California refineries, and 69,225 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery, compared to 162,214 bpd for the third quarter of 2011, consisting of 56,828 bpd at the Big Spring refinery, 39,056 bpd at the California refineries, and 66,330 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery.
The average Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread for the third quarter of 2012 was $31.76 per barrel compared to $31.28 per barrel for the same period in 2011. The average West Coast 3/1/1/1 crack spread for the third quarter of 2012 was $14.40 per barrel compared to $11.22 per barrel for the same period in 2011. The average Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread for the third quarter of 2012 was $15.91 per barrel compared to $12.44 per barrel for the same period in 2011.
The average WTI to WTS spread for the third quarter of 2012 was $3.34 per barrel compared to $0.82 per barrel for the same period in 2011. The average LLS to WTI spread for the third quarter of 2012 was $15.02 per barrel compared to $18.87 per barrel for the same period in 2011. The average WTI to Buena Vista spread for the third quarter of 2012 was $(14.14) per barrel compared to $(17.52) per barrel for the same period in 2011.
Asphalt margins for the third quarter of 2012 were $25.49 per ton compared to $25.68 per ton for same period in 2011. On a cash basis (i.e. excluding inventory effects), asphalt margins in the third quarter of 2012 were $37.13 per ton compared to $23.07 per ton in the third quarter of 2011. This increase is due primarily to higher asphalt sales prices. The average blended asphalt sales price increased 21.8% from $540.07 per ton in the third quarter of 2011 to $657.68 per ton in the third quarter of 2012 and the average non-blended asphalt sales price increased 2.3% from $383.87 per ton in the third quarter of 2011 to $392.76 per ton in the third quarter of 2012.
Retail fuel sales volume increased by 7.9% from 40.8 million gallons in the third quarter of 2011 to 44.0 million gallons in the third quarter of 2012. Our branded fuel sales volume increased by 5.9% from 95.2 million gallons in the third quarter of 2011 to 100.8 million gallons in the third quarter of 2012.
Also impacting earnings for the third quarter of 2012 was pre-tax realized losses on commodity swaps of $33.8 million. There were no significant realized losses on commodity swaps for the third quarter of 2011.
YEAR-TO-DATE 2012
Special items reduced earnings by $34.3 million for the first nine months of 2012 which included after-tax losses of $22.4 million associated with unrealized losses on commodity swaps, $4.4 million associated with heating oil call option crack spread contracts, $5.8 million associated with the write-off of unamortized original issuance discount due to the repayment of the Alon Brands term loan and $1.7 million associated with loss recognized on disposition of assets. Special items reduced earnings by $19.1 million for the first nine months of 2011 which included primarily an after-tax loss of $32.7 million associated with heating oil call option crack spread contracts and an after-tax gain of $13.5 million associated with a reduction in system inventories.
Refinery operating margin at the Big Spring refinery was $23.85 per barrel for the first nine months of 2012 compared to $20.67 per barrel for the same period in 2011. This increase is primarily due to higher Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spreads and a widening of the sweet/sour spread. Refinery operating margin at the California refineries was $1.60 per barrel for the first nine months of 2012, compared to $(0.16) per barrel for the same period in 2011. This increase is mainly due to an increase in West Coast 3/1/1/1 crack spreads. Refinery operating margin at the Krotz Springs refinery was $7.55 per barrel for the first nine months of 2012 compared to $5.61 per barrel for the same period in 2011. This increase is mainly due to lower crude oil costs with the addition of WTI priced crude oils and higher Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spreads.
The refineries' combined throughput for the first nine months of 2012 averaged 155,769 bpd, consisting of 67,884 bpd at the Big Spring refinery, 21,472 bpd at the California refineries and 66,413 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery compared to 144,515 bpd in the first nine months of 2011, consisting of 60,889 bpd at the Big Spring refinery, 21,357 bpd at the California refineries and 62,269 bpd at the Krotz Springs refinery. The California refineries were not in operation for the first quarter of 2012 and 2011.
The average Gulf Coast 3/2/1 crack spread for the first nine months of 2012 was $27.54 per barrel compared to $24.53 per barrel for the same period in 2011. The average West Coast 3/1/1/1 crack spread for the first nine months of 2012 was $12.84 per barrel compared to $11.09 per barrel for the same period in 2011. The average Gulf Coast 2/1/1 high sulfur diesel crack spread for the first nine months of 2012 was $12.05 per barrel compared to $9.87 per barrel for the first nine months of 2011.
The average WTI to WTS spread for the first nine months of 2012 was $4.09 per barrel compared to $2.47 per barrel for the first nine months of 2011. The average LLS to WTI spread for the first nine months of 2012 was $15.25 per barrel compared to $14.55 per barrel for the same period in 2011. The average WTI to Buena Vista spread for the first nine months of 2012 was $(13.97) per barrel compared to $(11.20) per barrel for the same period in 2011.
Asphalt margins in the first nine months of 2012 increased to $46.76 per ton compared to $15.99 per ton in the first nine months of 2011. On a cash basis, asphalt margins in the first nine months of 2012 were $31.10 per ton compared to $12.86 per ton in the first nine months of 2011. This increase was primarily due to asphalt sales prices increasing more than crude oil costs. The average blended asphalt sales price increased 15.5% from $539.52 per ton in the first nine months of 2011 to $623.24 per ton in the first nine months of 2012 and the average non-blended asphalt sales price increased 12.9% from $337.82 per ton in the first nine months of 2011 to $381.49 per ton in the first nine months of 2012. The average price for Buena Vista crude increased 3.3%, from $106.62 per barrel in the first nine months of 2011 to $110.14 per barrel in the first nine months of 2012.
Retail fuel sales volume increased by 9.4% from 115.9 million gallons in the first nine months of 2011 to 126.8 million gallons in the first nine months of 2012. Our branded fuel sales volume increased by 6.8% from 272.1 million gallons in the first nine months of 2011 to 290.7 million gallons in the first nine months of 2012.
Also impacting earnings for the first nine months of 2012 was pre-tax realized losses on commodity swaps of $68.3 million. There were no significant realized losses on commodity swaps for the first nine months of 2011.
Alon also announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.04 per share. The dividend is payable on December 17, 2012 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 3, 2012.