Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft recorded an operating profit of 3.29 billion Sk(€109.21 million) in the first three quarters of 2008, while its net profit in the same period stood at 2.68 billion Sk(€88.96 million). Both figures represent a fall of 56-percent y-o-y.

The strengthening of the Slovak crown by 18 percent against the U.S. dollar and by 7 percent against the euro, along with a significant fall in oil prices in third quarter 2008, contributed to these developments.

Total domestic sales of refinery products grew by 8.7 percent y-o-y in the first nine months of this year, while total export sales were down 6.7 percent y-o-y.

(TASR)