Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port (LSE: NCSP, RTS and MICEX: NMTP) announces consolidated operating results for January-May 2009: in the reporting period cargo turnover of NCSP totaled 36,041.3 thousand tones, which exceeds the turnover of the same period last year by 11.4% or 3,647.6 thousand tonnes.
Grain handling volumes from January to May 2009 increased fourfold over the same period last year and reached 3,848 thousand tonnes, of which Novorossiysk Grain Terminal accounts for 2,169 thousand tonnes. The share of grain in NCSP Group’s total cargo turnover comprised 10.7% versus 2.9% for the first five months of last year.
Crude oil and oil products volumes in the first five months of 2009 have also increased by by 908.9 thousand tonnes (5.2%) and 968.7 thousand tonnes (22%) respectively. At the same time the share of crude oil in the Group’s total cargo turnover decreased from 54.5% to 51.4% while the share of oil products has grown from 13.7% to 15%.
In January-May 2009, thanks to the efforts to attract extra cargo flows undertaken by the Group, handling of iron ore and ore concentrate, and pig iron has reached 1,282.3 thousand tonnes and 100.6 thousand tonnes respectively, which is many times over the volumes of the same period last year. The share of iron ore and ore concentrate in NCSP Group’s total cargo turnover increased from 0.2% to 3.6%.
Volumes of seed oils, perishable cargo, mineral fertilizers, and non-ferrous metals in the reporting period together increased by 75.6 thousand tonnes (6.8%) versus January-May 2008.
Handling of ferrous metals in the first five months of 2009 decreased by 5.5% compared to same period last year, and totaled 3,625.9 thousand tonnes. On the other hand, volumes of ferrous metals handling retain positive month-on-month dynamics from the start of 2009. In May versus April 2009 they have grown by 16.6 thousand tonnes (2.02%).
Similar trends are observed in the timber segment: in January-May 2009 timber handling totaled 613.3 thousand cubic meters (347 thousand tonnes), which is 34.9% less than the volumes for January-May 2008, while in May versus April 2009 timber handling increased by 9.2% (15.4 thousand cubic meters).
Overall container traffic of the Group in January-May 2009 dropped by 58 thousand TEU (37.2%) versus same period last year. At the same time container traffic at NCSP’s terminals in Novorossiysk decreased by 35.6 thousand TEU or 28.8% compared to same period last year. In May versus April 2009 container turnover of NCSP Group increased by 12.4% driven by improvements at Baltic Stevedoring Company which handled 5.8 thousand TEU in May versus 0.9 thousand TEU in April 2009.
Also, in the reporting period volumes of cement, sugar, UAN liquid fertilizer, scrap metal, and other cargo together decreased by 777.4 thousand tonnes.
Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port is the largest Russian port operator in terms of cargo turnover. Group’s consolidated cargo turnover in 2008 totaled 81.6 million tonnes. Consolidated revenue to IFRS for the 2008 totaled $653.777 million.
NCSP shares are traded on Russia’s RTS and MICEX exchanges (NMTP) and on the London Stock Exchange (NCSP) in the form of GDRs (1 GDR representing 75 shares).
NCSP Group includes the following stevedore companies: PJSC NCSP, PJSC Novorossiysk Grain Terminal, OJSC Novorossiysk Ship Repair Yard, PJSC NCSP Fleet, OJSC Novoroslesexport, OJSC IPP, and Baltic Stevedoring Company Ltd.