KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 - Esso Malaysia Berhad today announced the Company's third quarter results for the period ended September 30, 2009:

The Company recorded an after tax profit of RM162 million for the first nine months of 2009, an improvement over the profits of RM76 million recorded in the same period of 2008 reflecting higher inventory gains and stronger margins.  In the third quarter of 2009 the Company recorded a loss of RM18 million, compared to a loss of RM133 million in the same quarter of 2008,primarily from lower inventory losses.

Revenues for the third quarter and first nine months of the year were RM2.4 billion and RM5.8 billion respectively, versus RM3.7 billion and RM9.9 billion for the same period in 2008 driven by lower product prices.

Outlook for the industry remains challenging given the continued crude and product price volatility in the fourth quarter. In this environment, our strategy remains focused on flawless operations, cost control, product and service quality, while sustaining our competitive position.