Romgaz reports net profit of 1.68 billion RON, down 2.34 percent in first half of 2023

Romgaz Group announces its operational and financial performances in the first six months of 2023 (H1 2023). The company reported a net consolidated profit of 1,685.64 million RON, down 2.34 percent, namely by 40.30 million RON, as compared to the similar period of last year.

National gas consumption recorded a decrease of roughly 12.4 percent for the first 6 months of 2023 as compared to the similar period of last year, while Romgaz deliveries decreased by 5.7 percent. Therefore, Romgaz market share is 47.8 percent, by 3.4 percent higher than the share held in the similar period of last year.

Natural gas production for the first half of 2023, was 2,383.3 million m3 , indicating a 5.2 percent production decline related to production recorded in H1 2022.

Romgaz electricity production reached 497.579 GWh, lower by 47.08 GWh than the production recorded in the similar period of 2022 (-8.64 percent). This production placed Romgaz at a market share of 1.69 percent3.

Consolidated net profit per share (EPS) was RON 4.4.

Margins of the main profitability indicators for H1 2023: net consolidated profit (34.42 percent), consolidated EBIT (59.19 percent) and consolidated EBITDA (64.52 percent) increased significantly as compared to the first half of 2022 (23.02 percent; 26.19 percent and 29.12 percent respectively).

The increase is due to lower royalty expenses (RON 290.1 million in H1 2023 compared to RON 917.1 million in H1 2022) and due to lower expenses with the windfall tax from gas sales activities (RON 645.1 million in H1 2023, compared to RON 3,607.3 million in H1 2022) following GEO No.27/2022. According to this Ordinance, natural gas quantities sold for 150 RON/MWh are exempted from payment of the windfall tax, and royalty is calculated and paid at this price and not at the reference price communicated monthly by the National Agency for Mineral Resources.

Summary of the Group’s main indicators for H1 2023:

– Total income decreased by RON 2,478.9 million in H1 2023, recording a drop of 32.6 percent due to the following factors:

· Decrease of revenue from natural gas sales (RON 4,283.68 million in H1 2023 as compared to RON 6,694.78 million in H1 2022); deliveries decreased by 5.5 percent than in H1 2022, an important effect in reducing the revenue from gas sales was triggered by the obligation imposed by GEO No.27/2022, under which Romgaz had to sell most of production at a regulated price of 150 RON/MWh (86.16 percent of H1 2023 deliveries (21.22 TWh) were made at regulated price, compared to H1 2022, when only 4.23 percent of deliveries (1.10 TWh) were made at regulated price);

· Revenue from electricity sales also recorded a decrease (RON 200.40 million in H1 2023 as compared to RON 498.58 million in H1 2022). As of 2023, Romgaz had to sell almost all electricity produced at 450 RON/MWh, according to GEO No. 27/2022;

· Revenue from storage services increased by 59.84 percent (RON 287.29 million in H1 2023 as compared to RON 179.74 million in H1 2022), mainly due to increased capacities booked by clients for natural gas storage;

– Total expenses decreased in H1 2023 by 61.76 percent (-3,426.00 million), mainly due to the reduced windfall tax for natural gas (-2,962.16 million) and royalty expenses (-627.05 million);

– Increase of the gross consolidated profit by 46.10 percent as compared to H1 2022 was offset by the profit tax. The profit tax includes the solidarity contribution introduced at the end of 2022, the expense recorded with this contribution in H1 2023 was RON 970.92 million;

– Net consolidated profit of RON 1,685.64 million, by 2.34 percent lower, namely by RON 40.30 million, as compared to the similar period of last year;

– Labour productivity decreased as compared to the previous period, from RON 1,273.97 thousand revenue/employee in H1 2022 to RON 823.91 thousand revenue/employee in H1 2023 (-35.33 percent); – EPS of RON 4.4 is by 2.34 percent lower than recorded in H1 2022.