Ljubljana, 27 February (STA) – Energy group Petrol d.d. increased net sales revenue by 15% in 2012 compared to the previous year, to EUR 3.8bn. The group generated a net profit of EUR 53.9m, 3% more than in the year before, Petrol announced on Wednesday.

The higher revenues are the result of higher sales and higher petrol prices, the company said after its supervisors confirmed the audited report for 2012 on Tuesday.

Group gross profit amounted to ER 328.3m, which is 1% higher than in 2011, operating profit grew by 5% to EUR 84.9m and pre-tax profit was 24% higher at EUR 68m.

The group sold a total of 2.5m tonnes of oil derivatives, which is 7% more than in 2011. Merchandise revenue from its gas-station stores also grew by 7%, to EUR 472.2m.

Natural gas sales increased by 13% in 2012 to 128.8m cubic metres, while the group also sold 2.4 TWh of electricity, which is 125% more than in 2011.

The core company accounted for EUR 3.2bn of the group’s net sales revenues, which is also 15% up from the year before, and the company’s net profit almost tripled to EUR 34.5m.

It posted a gross profit of EUR 237.9m, level to the year before, whereas operating profit was 10% higher at EUR 67.2m and pre-tax profit was more than four times higher and stood at EUR 50m.

According to Petrol chairman Tomaž Berločnik, 2012 was a year of challenges, since the clench of the economic crisis has not ceased in the construction, retail and transport sectors, which are among the energy group’s biggest customers.

At the end of 2012, Petrol group had 462 service stations, of which 315 were in Slovenia, 92 in Croatia, 37 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, eight in Serbia, five in Montenegro and five in Kosovo.

The plans for this year envisage net sales revenues of EUR 4.04bn for the group and EUR 58.2m in net profit.

The group plans to sell 2.58m tonnes of petroleum products, generate EUR 500.4m in sales revenues in stores and sell 2.58m TWh of electricity. The number of petrol stations in its network is planned to increase to 477.