SINGAPORE, Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

    --  First Time in Rankings' 15 years, South Korea makes leaderboard, at #2
    --  Oil rout pushes energy-hungry Asian firms to the fore
    --  U.S.-based oil majors, shale players see fortunes ebb
    --  Placements by Region: Americas 98; Asia-Pacific 91; EMEA 61

The latest Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings® , now in their 15(th) year, reflect the oil market's biggest price collapse in nearly three decades, a resulting re-drawing of the lines in the fuels mix and the successes of energy players less exposed to the price rout following OPEC's defense of its global oil market prominence.

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South Korea's Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) was the surprise in the global Top 250 leaderboard this year. At 2(nd) place, not only was it in the Top 10, but the Top 5 and the only electric utility in the cherished upper ranks. A rise from 41(st) place in 2015, KEPCO now stands just behind Exxon, which held at #1 for the 12(th) consecutive year.

ASIA PACIFIC AND UTILITIES BIG WINNERS
The biggest winners in the 2016 Rankings, which were unveiled on the sidelines of the 32(nd) Asia-Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC 2016) in Singapore, were independent power producers (IPPs) and the power and natural gas utility sector.

"As a sector, electric utilities retained the biggest share of rankings by number, with more than a half dozen new entrants taking the sector's share to 28% of the total," said Robert Perkins, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) oil news senior writer of S&P Global Platts, the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. "The outright number of IPPs in the roster jumped nearly 50% to the highest level since the Rankings began in 2002."

With a combined average 9.45% three-year compound growth rate, the power sector also swept the top ranks of the world's fastest growing companies, taking 32 of the 50 top spots. Not only were Asia-Pacific companies headliners, snagging 19 of those top spots, but they were winners on several fronts this year.

The Asia-Pacific region contributed 13 more players in the overall global ranks this year than last, 17% more than in 2015 and taking the region to its highest representation since the Rankings began.

    TOP 10 OF 2016 PLATTS TOP 250 RANKINGS


    2016 Rank                            COMPANY NAME             2015 Rank
    ---------                           ------------              ---------

    1                                   Exxon Mobil Corp                      1
    ---                                 ----------------                    ---

    2                                   Korea Electric Power Corp            41
    ---                                 -------------------------           ---

    3                                   Public JSC Gazprom                   43
    ---                                 ------------------                  ---

    4                                   Phillips 66                           6
    ---                                 -----------                         ---

    5                                   Valero Energy Corp                    8
    ---                                 ------------------                  ---

    6                                   PJSC LUKOIL Oil Co                   13
    ---                                 ------------------                  ---

    7                                   OJSC Rosneft Oil Co                  10
    ---                                 -------------------                 ---

    8                                   Reliance Industries Ltd              14
    ---                                 -----------------------             ---

    9                                   OJSC Surgutneftegas                  12
    ---                                 -------------------                 ---

    10                                  Marathon Petroleum Corp              15
    ---                                 -----------------------             ---

Russia's Gazprom surged back to third overall, the highest since 2011, while four Russian players now sit in the Top 10, more than at any time in the past. Although still dogged by Western sanctions, Russia's biggest energy companies enjoyed a major balance sheet lift from the sharp slump in the value of the ruble. Still, as a region, Russia's average ranking almost halved to 52(nd) overall.

OIL MAJORS LOSE STRANGLE HOLD
Other integrated oil and gas (IOG) majors were not as lucky. Combined profits of the 28 IOGs in the overall Top 250 list slumped to $25.73 billion from $139.34 billion a year ago, to the lowest sector total since the Top 250 Ranking began in 2002. In exploration and production (E&P), the darling sector of the shale boom, the 2016 roster shows that some 24 U.S and Canadian firms fell out of the Rankings from a year ago. Still, it was U.S.-based E&P Antero Resources Corp. that topped the fastest growers with a 3-year compound growth rate of 81.1% for the second consecutive year.

The refining sector strengthened its standings in the 2016 roster, buoyed by improved margins. Two refiners, India's Reliance Industries and the U.S.' Marathon Petroleum, were propelled, making their global Top 10 debuts. No less than four refiners sit in the leaderboard, twice that of a year ago.

Among the world's biggest movers - those rising by more than 50 positions from a year ago - Asia-Pacific companies, here again won the limelight, accounting for nearly half. Refiner Indian Oil Corporation and Japan's third-largest power utility, Chuba Electric Power, topped the biggest movers, lifted by access to cheaper crude and liquefied natural gas (LNG), respectively. Japan's second largest power producer Kansai Electric rocketed 142 places up the ratings list following the restart of nuclear reactors at Sendai.

COAL AND EMEA STRUGGLED

India and China sported winners in the coal sector. Strong performance in India's coal industry enabled the largest pure coal mining company in the world, Coal India, to hold its place at 38(th) in the Top 250 ranks. China's largest listed coal-fired generator, Huaneng Power International reaped benefits of state-set tariffs being slow to follow prices down, making plants more profitable. The company climbed from 44(th) place to 27(th) on higher revenues and profits.

Germany's E.On and EnBW showed strong performance, largely on renewable generation, moving both up the ranks by more than 50 places. Overall, the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region remains the weakest in ranked players. But a rare increase in European Union energy consumption and stronger placings by Russian firms helped in this year's performance. EMEA fielded nearly one fourth of the total list this year and saw its average position rise by eight positions to 115 overall.

LATIN AMERICA MIXED BAG
Latin American energy companies held on to their modest showing in the rankings but the fortunes of some of the region's biggest took diverging paths. The highest placed LatAm energy firm in 2015, Colombia's Ecopetrol, suffered from weaker oil price, while Brazil's pipeline and storage entity, Ultrapar, shrugged off the downturn and advanced in the ranks.

The Platts Top 250 rankings reflect the financial performance of publicly traded energy companies with assets greater than U.S.$5 billion, and are based on a combination of asset value, revenue, profit and return on invested capital (ROIC) for the latest fiscal year (2015).

Wins for the gas, nuclear and renewable sector largely came at the detriment of the global coal industry, which continued to witness significant structural and fundamental shifts over 2015 as suppliers, particularly in China and the U.S., worked to redress the overhang in supply.

Access an in-depth analysis of this year's Rankings, "S&P Global Platts Top 250: Price Shakeout Sparks Industry Upheaval," by S&P Global Platts' Robert Perkins, EMEA oil news senior writer, and Stephanie Wilson contributing editor for international coal & liquefied natural gas.

For full details of the 2016 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings® and the associated lists by region, industry sector, biggest movers, fastest growers and more, visit http://top250.platts.com/Rankings.

Financial data for the Platts Top 250 Global Energy Companies Rankings® was provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, which, like Platts, is a division of S&P Global.

Contact
Americas: Kathleen Tanzy, + 1 917 331 4607, kathleen.tanzy@spglobal.com

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