Rating Rationale
November 16, 2018 | Mumbai
Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited
Rated amount enhanced
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.5302.9 Crore
Long Term Rating CRISIL AAA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Short Term Rating CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
 
Rs.1000 Crore Non Convertible Debentures CRISIL AAA/Stable (Reaffirmed)
Rs.6000 Crore Commercial Paper Programme (Enhanced from Rs.5000 Crore) CRISIL A1+ (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the bank facilities and debt programmes of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL).
    
The ratings continues to reflect the strong operational, managerial and financial support CPCL derives from parent, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL; rated 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+'). The ratings also factor in favourable operating profile. These strengths are partially offset by exposure to risks related to volatility in crude oil prices and any large, debt-funded capital expenditure (capex).

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the ratings, CRISIL has centrally factored strong business and financial linkages with its parent, IOCL.  IOCL infused Rs 1,000 crore in fiscal 2016 through subscription of non-convertible, cumulative and redeemable preference shares to support CPCL's capital needs. CPCL has redeemed Rs 500 crore of these preference shares in June 2018. These shares have been treated as debt in its analytical approach.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths
* Strong operational, managerial and financial support from IOCL
CPCL is of strategic importance to IOCL as the latter has, and will continue to hold, a majority stake (51.89% as on September 30, 2018) in CPCL. IOCL has strong representation on CPCL's board, including a common chairman. CPCL derives operational synergies as IOCL is also in the same line of business; the synergies include pooled sourcing of crude oil through IOCL, and benefits from IOCL's bulk purchase. Furthermore, IOCL buys over 80% of CPCL's output. CPCL caters to IOCL's product requirements in southern India. CPCL's sales volumes are, therefore, not likely to be affected by the presence of any new refinery in the southern region. CPCL's association with IOCL enhances financial flexibility as the company is viewed at par with IOCL; CPCL thus enjoys benefits related to pricing of debt facilities, and favourable credit terms. CPCL is likely to remain strategically important to IOCL even over the medium term.

* Favorable operating risk profile
CPCL has a favourable operating risk profile, marked by healthy gross refining margins, low operating costs and favourable distillate yields. Its capacity utilisation averaged around 90% between fiscals 2013 and 2018. CPCL has a high Nelson complexity index (NCI) of 8.1 (refineries with high NCI have the necessary flexibility to process a variety of crude oils and can record high value addition). High operating efficiency enables processing of sour crude and optimises distillation yield. Focus on maximising middle-distillate yield should strengthen operating efficiencies.

Weaknesses
* Exposure to risks related to volatility in crude oil prices
Crude oil remained volatile over the past few years. Crude oil prices fell sharply to around $47/barrel (bbl) in fiscal 2017, from over $100/bbl during fiscal 2014. Thereafter, crude prices increased to $76/bbl during the first half of fiscal 2019. Recent increase in crude oil prices led to higher working capital requirement. CPCL currently imports most of its crude oil requirements from the Middle East countries. Large import dependence exposed CPCL to volatility in the rupee-dollar rate, and a corresponding increase in the value of imports.

* Capex plans and their funding
CPCL plans to incur an annual capex of Rs 1,000-1,200 crore for residual project upgrade and Bharat Stage-IV quality upgrade. Residual upgradation project forms major chunk of the total capex, and is expected to be completed over the medium term.
Outlook: Stable

The 'Stable' outlook reflects CRISIL's rating outlook on CPCL's parent, IOCL. CPCL's status as a subsidiary of IOCL enhances its competitive position in the domestic market. IOCL extends financial and management support to CPCL, and provides assured offtake for around 80% of the latter's finished products. The outlook may be revised to 'Negative' if there is a similar rating action on IOCL, or in case of weaker standalone performance of CPCL.

About the Company

CPCL was incorporated as Madras Refineries Ltd in 1965, a joint venture between the Government of India (GoI), National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), and American Oil Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US-based Standard Oil Company. In March 2001, IOC acquired GoI's equity stake for Rs 510 crore, and NIOC transferred its stake to its affiliate, Naftiran Intertrade Company Ltd (NICL) in July 2003. Currently, IOCL holds a 51.89% in CPCL, while NICL holds 15.40%; the remainder is held by financial institutions, corporate bodies, the general public, and others.

CPCL increased its total refining capacity by 1 million tonne per annum (mtpa) in fiscal 2011, taking its total refining capacity to 11.5 mtpa, with 10.5 mtpa and 1 mtpa in Manali and Nagapattinam, respectively (both in Tamil Nadu). The company produces petroleum products, lubricants, and additives, and also provides high-quality feedstock, such as propylene, superior kerosene, butylenes, naphtha, paraffin wax, and sulphur.

For the six months ended September 30, 2018, CPCL has reported profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 183 crore on revenue of Rs 21,525 crore, as against Rs 349 crore and Rs 14,152 crore, respectively, for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

Key Financial Indicators
As on/for the period ended Mar 31 2018 2017
Revenue Rs crore 32,526 27,687
Profit After Tax (PAT) Rs crore 927 1,051
PAT Margins % 2.9 3.8
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 1.11 1.60
Interest coverage Times 6.64 7.29

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL complexity levels for instruments that they consider for investment. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
ISIN Name of Instrument Date of Allotment Coupon Rate (%) Maturity Date Issue Size (Rs.Cr) Rating Assigned with Outlook
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 2500.0 CRISIL AAA/Stable
NA Letter of credit & bank guarantee NA NA NA 184.0 CRISIL A1+
NA Packing Credit* NA NA NA 1500.0 CRISIL AAA/Stable
NA Short-Term Bank Facility NA NA NA 873.9 CRISIL A1+
NA Proposed Long Term Bank loan facility NA NA NA 245.0 CRISIL AAA/Stable
INE178A07021 Non-Convertible Debentures 10-Jan-2014 9.65% 10-Jan-2019 1000.0 CRISIL AAA/Stable
NA Commercial Paper NA NA 7-365 days 6000.0 CRISIL A1+
*One way interchangeability with CC
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2018 (History) 2017  2016  2015  Start of 2015
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Commercial Paper  ST  6000.00  CRISIL A1+  30-04-18  CRISIL A1+  10-11-17  CRISIL A1+    --    --  -- 
            28-09-17  CRISIL A1+           
Non Convertible Debentures  LT  1000.00
16-11-18 
CRISIL AAA/Stable  30-04-18  CRISIL AAA/Stable  10-11-17  CRISIL AAA/Stable  08-12-16  CRISIL AAA/Stable  04-09-15  CRISIL AAA/Stable  CRISIL AAA/Stable 
            28-09-17  CRISIL AAA/Stable  13-10-16  CRISIL AAA/Stable       
Short Term Debt  ST    --    --    --  08-12-16  Withdrawal  04-09-15  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
                13-10-16  CRISIL A1+       
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  5118.90  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  30-04-18  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  10-11-17  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  08-12-16  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  04-09-15  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+ 
            28-09-17  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+  13-10-16  CRISIL AAA/Stable/ CRISIL A1+       
Non Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  184.00  CRISIL A1+  30-04-18  CRISIL A1+  10-11-17  CRISIL A1+  08-12-16  CRISIL A1+  04-09-15  CRISIL A1+  CRISIL A1+ 
            28-09-17  CRISIL A1+  13-10-16  CRISIL A1+       
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Cash Credit 2500 CRISIL AAA/Stable Cash Credit 2500 CRISIL AAA/Stable
Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 184 CRISIL A1+ Letter of credit & Bank Guarantee 184 CRISIL A1+
Packing Credit* 1500 CRISIL AAA/Stable Packing Credit* 1500 CRISIL AAA/Stable
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 245 CRISIL AAA/Stable Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 245 CRISIL AAA/Stable
Short Term Bank Facility 873.9 CRISIL A1+ Short Term Bank Facility 873.9 CRISIL A1+
Total 5302.9 -- Total 5302.9 --
*One way interchangeability with CC
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
Rating Criteria for Petrochemical Industry
CRISILs Criteria for rating short term debt
Criteria for Notching up Stand Alone Ratings of Companies based on Parent Support

For further information contact:
Media Relations
Analytical Contacts
Customer Service Helpdesk
Saman Khan
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 3895
B: +91 22 3342 3000
saman.khan@crisil.com

Naireen Ahmed
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 1818
B: +91 22 3342 3000
naireen.ahmed@crisil.com


Vinay Rajani
Media Relations
CRISIL Limited
D: +91 22 3342 1835
M: +91 91 676 42913
B: +91 22 3342 3000
vinay.rajani@ext-crisil.com

Sachin Gupta
Senior Director - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 22 3342 3023
Sachin.Gupta@crisil.com


Nitesh Jain
Director - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
D:+91 22 3342 3329
nitesh.jain@crisil.com


Srinvantu Basu
Rating Analyst - CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Limited
B:+91 22 3342 3000
Srinvantu.Basu@crisil.com
Timings: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm
Toll free Number:1800 267 1301

For a copy of Rationales / Rating Reports:
CRISILratingdesk@crisil.com
 
For Analytical queries:
ratingsinvestordesk@crisil.com


 

Note for Media:
This rating rationale is transmitted to you for the sole purpose of dissemination through your newspaper / magazine / agency. The rating rationale may be used by you in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof but with due credit to CRISIL. However, CRISIL alone has the sole right of distribution (whether directly or indirectly) of its rationales for consideration or otherwise through any media including websites, portals etc.


About CRISIL Limited

CRISIL is a leading agile and innovative, global analytics company driven by its mission of making markets function better. We are India’s foremost provider of ratings, data, research, analytics and solutions. A strong track record of growth, culture of innovation and global footprint sets us apart. We have delivered independent opinions, actionable insights, and efficient solutions to over 1,00,000 customers.
 
We are majority owned by S&P Global Inc., a leading provider of transparent and independent ratings, benchmarks, analytics and data to the capital and commodity markets worldwide.
 
For more information, visit www.crisil.com 


Connect with us: TWITTER | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK

About CRISIL Ratings
CRISIL Ratings is part of CRISIL Limited (“CRISIL”). We pioneered the concept of credit rating in India in 1987. CRISIL is registered in India as a credit rating agency with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”). With a tradition of independence, analytical rigour and innovation, CRISIL sets the standards in the credit rating business. We rate the entire range of debt instruments, such as, bank loans, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, non-convertible / convertible / partially convertible bonds and debentures, perpetual bonds, bank hybrid capital instruments, asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, partial guarantees and other structured debt instruments. We have rated over 24,500 large and mid-scale corporates and financial institutions. CRISIL has also instituted several innovations in India in the rating business, including rating municipal bonds, partially guaranteed instruments and microfinance institutions. We also pioneered a globally unique rating service for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and significantly extended the accessibility to rating services to a wider market. Over 1,10,000 MSMEs have been rated by us.


CRISIL PRIVACY
 
CRISIL respects your privacy. We may use your contact information, such as your name, address, and email id to fulfil your request and service your account and to provide you with additional information from CRISIL.For further information on CRISIL’s privacy policy please visit www.crisil.com.


DISCLAIMER

This disclaimer forms part of and applies to each credit rating report and/or credit rating rationale that we provide (each a “Report”). For the avoidance of doubt, the term “Report” includes the information, ratings and other content forming part of the Report. The Report is intended for the jurisdiction of India only. This Report does not constitute an offer of services. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing in the Report is to be construed as CRISIL providing or intending to provide any services in jurisdictions where CRISIL does not have the necessary licenses and/or registration to carry out its business activities referred to above. Access or use of this Report does not create a client relationship between CRISIL and the user.

We are not aware that any user intends to rely on the Report or of the manner in which a user intends to use the Report. In preparing our Report we have not taken into consideration the objectives or particular needs of any particular user. It is made abundantly clear that the Report is not intended to and does not constitute an investment advice. The Report is not an offer to sell or an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment in any securities, instruments, facilities or solicitation of any kind or otherwise enter into any deal or transaction with the entity to which the Report pertains. The Report should not be the sole or primary basis for any investment decision within the meaning of any law or regulation (including the laws and regulations applicable in the US).

Ratings from CRISIL Rating are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell any securities / instruments or to make any investment decisions. Any opinions expressed here are in good faith, are subject to change without notice, and are only current as of the stated date of their issue. CRISIL assumes no obligation to update its opinions following publication in any form or format although CRISIL may disseminate its opinions and analysis. CRISIL rating contained in the Report is not a substitute for the skill, judgment and experience of the user, its management, employees, advisors and/or clients when making investment or other business decisions. The recipients of the Report should rely on their own judgment and take their own professional advice before acting on the Report in any way.

Neither CRISIL nor its affiliates, third party providers, as well as their directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents (collectively, “CRISIL Parties”) guarantee the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the Report, and no CRISIL Party shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions therein, regardless of the cause, or for the results obtained from the use of any part of the Report. EACH CRISIL PARTY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. In no event shall any CRISIL Party be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees, or losses (including, without limitation, lost income or lost profits and opportunity costs) in connection with any use of any part of the Report even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

CRISIL Ratings may receive compensation for its ratings and certain credit-related analyses, normally from issuers or underwriters of the instruments, facilities, securities or from obligors. CRISIL’s public ratings and analysis as are required to be disclosed under the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (and other applicable regulations, if any) are made available on its web sites, www.crisil.com (free of charge). Reports with more detail and additional information may be available for subscription at a fee – more details about CRISIL ratings are available here: www.crisilratings.com.

CRISIL and its affiliates do not act as a fiduciary. While CRISIL has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, CRISIL does not perform an audit and undertakes no duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives and / or relies in its Reports. CRISIL keeps certain activities of its business units separate from each other in order to preserve the independence and objectivity of the respective activity. As a result, certain business units of CRISIL may have information that is not available to other CRISIL business units. CRISIL has established policies and procedures to maintain the confidentiality of certain non-public information received in connection with each analytical process. CRISIL has in place a ratings code of conduct and policies for analytical firewalls and for managing conflict of interest. For details please refer to: https://www.crisil.com/en/home/our-businesses/ratings/regulatory-disclosures/highlighted-policies.html

CRISIL’s rating criteria are generally available without charge to the public on the CRISIL public web site, www.crisil.com. For latest rating information on any instrument of any company rated by CRISIL you may contact CRISIL RATING DESK at CRISILratingdesk@crisil.com, or at (0091) 1800 267 1301.

This Report should not be reproduced or redistributed to any other person or in any form without a prior written consent of CRISIL.

All rights reserved @ CRISIL