Oil and Gas

We won't seriously consider an IPO over the next few years: Petronas Lubricants chief

Key Points
  • As of today, the company is generating enough funds organically that an IPO isn't necessary, Giuseppe D'Arrigo, the managing director and group CEO of Petronas Lubricants International said.
  • "In the short term, for the next couple of years, [an IPO] is not something we are looking at very seriously," he said, adding that, in future, "achieving that vision that we said, becoming the top five companies, we require some special funds."
Expansion is on the cards for Petronas Lubricants
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Expansion is on the cards for Petronas Lubricants

An initial public offering could help meet ambitious future goals, but as of today Petronas Lubricants International is generating enough funds organically, the company's CEO told CNBC on Friday.

"In the last few years, we've been growing at about five times the market rate," Giuseppe D'Arrigo, the managing director and group CEO of the automotive and industrial lubricant product manufacturer said, adding that the company has already a top-10 multinational lubricant company.

The company is aiming to go further and secure its position as a top-five competitor in the industry through ambitious strategies such as investing in technology and entering new markets. Both of which would require huge funding.

Petronas Lubricants International CEO Giuseppe D'Arrigo at Makuhari Messe on January 12, 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.
Jun Sato | Getty Images

D'Arrigo said the company currently has "very high cash flow" and is "meeting our financial targets" so extra funds are not required, but he would not discount any sort of funding initiative in future.

"In the short term, for the next couple of years, [an IPO] is not something we are looking at very seriously," he said, adding that, in future, "achieving that vision that we said, becoming the top-five companies, we require some special funds."

The CEO also told CNBC that the lubricant industry is turning to technology for help in developing an effective and sustainable product. "Technology is our differentiator," he said, adding that "we are investing everything into it," particularly on synthetic lubricant, which he explained is seen as higher end and more profitable.

D'Arrigo pointed to Australia, telling CNBC: "Australia is a market that's contracting by 5 percent every year when it comes to lubricants. But the synthetic part of it will double over the next five years, and that's where we are playing."