LyondellBasell Industries announced earnings from continuing operations for the second quarter 2015 of $1.33 billion, or $2.81 diluted earnings per share. Second quarter 2015 EBITDA was approximately $2.19 billion. The second quarter included a $9 million non-cash, pre-tax credit for the impact of a lower of cost or market (LCM) inventory adjustment ($6 million after tax), which for certain segments represented a reversal of some or all of the LCM adjustment charged in the first quarter of 2015. Excluding the LCM adjustment, earnings from continuing operations during the first quarter totaled $1.3 billion, or $2.79 per share, and EBITDA was $2.2 billion.
"Continued high operating reliability allowed us to take advantage of a favorable second quarter environment. We again delivered strong results across all segments, achieving record quarterly diluted earnings per share and EBITDA. Earnings per share during the last 12 months exceeded $10 per share. Abundant natural gas and NGL supply coupled with strong pricing during the quarter continued to benefit our margins in the Olefins and Polyolefins and Intermediates and Derivatives segments. Planned and unplanned industry downtime created favorable global conditions, demonstrating that the industry is operating with a fundamentally tight supply and demand balance," said Bob Patel, LyondellBasell Chief Executive Officer.
"The outlook for the third quarter remains positive for our portfolio. Natural gas and NGL remain well supplied and favorably priced. Significant global olefin and polyolefin supply shortages are starting to rebalance as supply returns to the market, but balances have remained favorable through July. Late in the third quarter, we will begin planned outages at two of our Intermediate and Derivatives production sites and at one European olefins plant," Patel said.
