A quarter earlier, OMV Petrom posted gas sales volumes of 17.32 TWh, the report noted. Compared with the first three months of 2011, sales volumes were down 7% in April through June.
Petrom’s hydrocarbon output slid to 182,000 barrels oil equivalent (boe) a day in the second quarter, from 184,000 boe a day in the previous three months, due to lower production at two gas fields.
Groupwide, OMV reported a 2% increase in hydrocarbon production quarter-on-quarter to 305,000 boe a day, fueled by higher output in Libya and New Zealand. Compared with the first three months of 2011, hydrocarbon production rose almost 11% in the first quarter.
“This increase was, however, partly offset by lower production in Romania and Austria,” the report showed.
OMV expects net special charges of approximately EUR140 million in the second quarter, primarily due to impairments from a gas field in Austria and personnel restructuring in Romania and Austria.
The group’s gas sales volumes fell 24.6% on the quarter to 89.45 TWh in April through June, but were up nearly 70% compared with the same period of 2011.
“Substantially higher trading activities were the main reason for the increase of gas sales volumes compared to the second quarter of 2011,” OMV said.
OMV Petrom is 51.01%-owned by Austrian group OMV. The Economy Ministry holds a 20.63% stake in the company, while investment fund Fondul Proprietatea (FP.RO) owns 20.11%.
At around 10:10 Friday morning, Petrom’s shares traded down 1.22% at RON0.3803 in Bucharest, amid a slightly declining market.