Naftan increased oil refining volume by 8.2% in 9 months

November 12, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Naftan Open Joint-Stock Company processed 8.3 million tons of oil feedstock in the first nine months of the current year. This was announced by Naftan OJSC General Director Vyacheslav Yakushev today at a meeting of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, a BELTA correspondent reports. The processing volume increased by 8.2% compared to the same period in 2008. The enterprise acquired 4.9 million tons of oil using its own funds. Own processing increased by 749 thousand tons (by 18%), and its share in the total volume reached 58.8%. In January-September, the joint-stock company produced industrial products at comparable prices worth over Br6.2 trillion. The growth rate was almost 120% compared to the same period in 2008. Consumer goods worth Br46.4 billion were produced. Petroleum products worth $1.4 billion were sold for export in nine months. The export volume in physical terms increased 1.3 times compared to the same period last year, however, in value terms, it decreased by 28.5%, which is due to the imbalance of oil and petroleum product prices on the world market, explained Vyacheslav Yakushev. For example, the price of diesel fuel on the world market this year fell 1.8 times compared to 2008. Naftan OJSC's net profit in January-September amounted to Br50.4 billion. The profitability of sold products is 5.5%. Tax payments to budgets of all levels as of the end of September exceeded Br1.7 trillion, however, this is 24% lower than payments for the same period last year. The decrease occurred in profit tax and excise payments. The Novopolotsk oil refinery Naftan was commissioned in 1963 and is part of the Belneftekhim concern. The plant specializes in the production of fuel and oil products, producing more than 70 items, including oils, gasoline, and diesel fuel of Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards. About 70% of the products are supplied to the CIS countries, the European Union, the Middle East, and the USA. -0-