MOL Group On Track to Meet 2019 Guidance

Hungarian international oil and gas company MOL Group delivered an EBITDA of USD 1.15bn in H1 2019, exactly half of the full-year 2019 guidance.

Upstream EBITDA was 10% lower in H1 2019 at USD 553mn, as higher volumes were more than offset by lower oil and gas prices. The segment remained the largest free cash flow generator of the Group. Average daily hydrocarbon production was 111.8 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) higher by 2% year-on-year.

Downstream Clean net income EBITDA amounted to USD 403mln in H1 2019, 18% lower year-on-year. Materially weaker refining macro put pressure on EBITDA.

Consumer Services EBITDA growth remained double-digit in local currencies, driven by the continued dynamic expansion of both non-fuel and fuel margins, but slowed to 6% year-on-year in USD-terms to USD 207mln in the first six months. The segment is still supported by the strong economic growth of the CEE region, including the continued around 3% growth of the fuel markets.

The Gas Midstream segment reached USD 89mln EBITDA in the first half-year, down by 24% year on year. Following the recent acquisition of the Slovak-Hungarian natural gas interconnector, FGSZ (MOL Gas Midstream) becomes the single gas Transmission System Operator (TSO) in Hungary.

Chairman-CEO Zsolt Hernádi said: “Our resilient, integrated business model allowed us to deliver USD 1.15bn EBITDA in the first half of 2019, only slightly behind last year’s outstanding level, despite lower oil prices and much weaker refinery margins. We thus remain well on track to meet or beat our full-year guidance of USD 2.3bn Clean EBITDA."

"We continued to generate positive simplified free cash flow even at a time when we spent nearly USD 300mn on strategic transformational projects, including the new polyol plant, which is progressing in line with plans and schedule,” he added.