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The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited
Press Release

Date
26-Jun-24

Analyst
Andleeb Zahra
andleeb.zahra@pacra.com
+92-42-35869504
www.pacra.com

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This press release is being transmitted for the sole purpose of dissemination through print/electronic media. The press release may be used in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof with due credit to PACRA

PACRA Maintains the Entity Ratings of PARCO Pearl Gas (Pvt.) Limited.

Rating Type Entity
Current
(26-Jun-24 )
Previous
(26-Jun-23 )
Action Maintain Initial
Long Term AA AA
Short Term A1+ A1+
Outlook Stable Stable
Rating Watch - -

PARCO Pearl Gas (Private) Limited (PPGL, the company), a wholly owned subsidiary of Pak Arab Refinery Limited, is the largest LPG Marketing company of the Country. The Company has a strong presence in Pakistan’s LPG sector for over four decades. The Company is successfully marketing their product under brand names; Pearl Gas and Super Gas. Total market size is nearly ~2 million MT and the Company has largest market share of ~9% which caters to market needs of all three segments; Domestic, Commercial & Industrial. Demand from the customers is need-driven, which perpetually increases, as the energy starved industry doesn’t have access to uninterrupted supply or any other viable alternatives. Success is pivotal on sound supply chain management through various LPG suppliers and fulfilling the ever-increasing demand through a well-managed fleet of logistical infrastructure. PPGL handles the volumes in excess of ~180,000 MT annually with seven filling plants, seven hospitalities, five gas distribution centers and three gas shops through their diversified presence at strategic locations in the Country with storage capacity of 3,601 MTons combined with the nation-wide network of 579 distributors and 1,162 B2B customers. The volumes of the Company remained at 144,999 MTons during 9MFY24 (9MFY23: 140,630MT, FY22: 123,474MT). However, in revenue terms, the Company has witnessed growth of 30%. The Company is currently procuring major share of LPG from its parent company, direct inputs along with a few E&P companies. PPGL has a favorable capital structure with no debt on its balance sheet. In addition, to enhance business volumes, the Company is aggressively working on new initiatives including integration of supply chain through terminal and pipeline network, the support will be mainly driven from the strengthened equity base (9MFY24: PKR 3.7bln, FY23: PKR 2.7bln, FY22: PKR 1.9bln) and sound liquidity position, providing comfort to financial risk matrix. The cost structure is being managed; distribution costs, going forward, should be the main focus of the management.
The assigned Ratings continue to derive strength from the strong sponsor with vast experience in the oil and gas sector, experienced management, including strong technical and operational support from the parent company PARCO. The Ratings are dependent on sustained business model and its share in the overall country’s LPG movement. Sustainability in system share remains vital for the Ratings. Meanwhile, adherence to strong performance indicators is imperative.

About the Entity
PARCO Pearl Gas (Pvt.) Limited is wholly owned subsidiary of Pak-Arab Refinery Limited, Pakistan’s largest and modern refinery. PPGL was established back in 1982 under name ‘Lifeline (Private) Limited’ and after various acquisition and takeovers, it was renamed to Parco Pearl Gas (Private) Limited after acquisition by Pak-Arab Refinery Limited on 1st October 2012. PARCO Pearl Gas (Pvt.) Limited is the largest LPG marketing company in Pakistan and effectively managing the fleet of 74 vehicles (bowsers) which are company & contractor owned, operating and delivering 160,000 MT of product every year. The Company’s overall control is overseen by six-member Board of Directors all nominated by PARCO. Mr. Kashif Siddiqui, previously worked in PSO took charge as CEO of PPGL in January 2022 and has been aptly deploying his expertise since then.

The primary function of PACRA is to evaluate the capacity and willingness of an entity to honor its obligations. Our ratings reflect an independent, professional and impartial assessment of the risks associated with a particular instrument or an entity. PACRA's comprehensive offerings include instrument and entity credit ratings, insurer financial strength ratings, fund ratings, asset manager ratings and real estate gradings. PACRA opinion is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security, in as much as it does not comment on the security's market price or suitability for a particular investor.