HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - Aug 18, 2015) - Blue Dolphin Energy Company ("Blue Dolphin") ( OTCQX : BDCO ), an independent refiner and marketer of refined petroleum products in the Eagle Ford Shale, reported second quarter 2015 results.

Results of Operations

Three Month Comparative Periods

• Refinery operations Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 totaled $2.6 million compared to $3.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2014.

• Total Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 was $2.3 million compared to $3.3 million for the prior year comparative period.

• Refinery operating income before the Joint Marketing Agreement Profit Share (the "JMA Profit Share") for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 was $2.5 million compared to $3.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2014. JMA Profit Share for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 totaled $0.9 million compared to $1.2 million for the same period a year earlier. Refinery operating income for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 totaled $1.5 million compared to $2.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2014.

• Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 was $0.1 million, or income of $0.01 per share, compared to $1.4 million, or income of $0.14 per share, for the same quarterly period in 2014.
  
  

Six Month Comparative Periods

• Refinery operations Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2015 totaled $11.7 million compared to $11.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014.

• Total Adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $11.0 million compared to $10.3 million for the prior year comparative period.

• Refinery operating income before the JMA Profit Share for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $11.2 million compared to $10.5 million for the six months ended June 30 2014. JMA Profit Share for the six months ended June 30, 2015 totaled $3.4 million compared to $1.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014. Refinery operating income for the six months ended June 30, 2015 totaled $7.9 million compared to $9.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014.

• Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $3.8 million, or income of $0.37 per share, compared to net income of $7.6 million, or income of $0.73 per share, for the same six month period in 2014.
  
  

The JMA Profit Share represents a payment to GEL TEX Marketing, LLC ("GEL") pursuant to the Joint Marketing Agreement. GEL is entitled to receive the JMA profit Share as a result of the May 2014 repayment of the outstanding balance due on the Construction and Funding Agreement with Milam Services, Inc. The JMA Profit Share represents an increase in expenses and a reduction in cash flow from operations.

See "Non-GAAP Performance Measures" in this press release for the definition of earnings before interest, income taxes and depreciation ("EBITDA"), Adjusted EBITDA, and refinery operating income. A reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income is provided herein. A reconciliation of refinery operating income to refined petroleum product sales, cost of refined products sold, refinery operating expenses and JMA Profit Share is also provided herein.

During the second quarter of 2015, we entered into loan agreements totaling $28.0 million as part of a plan to refinance approximately $8.5 million of debt owed to American First National Bank, purchase idle refinery equipment, and expand the Nixon Facility. As announced in June 2015, the Nixon Facility expansion project will encompass three phases that include: (i) constructing more than 500,000 bbls of petroleum storage tanks, (ii) redeploying idle refinery equipment, and (iii) obtaining an additional long-term loan that would be used to refinance a $3.0 million short-term note and construct an additional 300,000 bbls of petroleum storage tanks. Potential benefits of the Nixon Facility expansion plan include:

• generation of additional revenue from leasing product and crude storage to third parties;

• crude and product storage capable of supporting refinery throughput of up to 30,000 bbls per day;

• production of a higher octane gasoline blendstock (reformate) by refurbishing the naphtha reformer;

• production of ultra low sulfur diesel by refurbishing a light duty hydrotreater; and

• an increase in the processing capacity and complexity of the Nixon Facility by deploying refurbished refinery equipment to the Nixon Facility, including, among others, a Merox unit, vacuum tower, prefrac tower unit, and LPG fractionator.
  
  

Refinery Throughput and Production Data

Three Months Ended June 30, 2015 Compared to Three Months Ended June 30, 2014

• Downtime at the Nixon Facility for the three months ended June 30, 2015 totaled 11 days compared to 7 days for the three months ended June 30, 2014.

• Total refinery throughput for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 totaled 914,950 bbls, or 11,437 bpd, compared to 968,259 bbls, or 11,527 bpd, for the same period a year earlier. The 6% decrease between the periods primarily related to downtime.

• Total refinery production for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 totaled 896,123 bbls, or 11,202 bpd, compared to 949,645 bbls, or 11,305 bpd, for the same period a year earlier. The 6% decrease primarily related to downtime.

• Capacity utilization rate for refinery throughput for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was 76.2% compared to 76.8% for same period a year earlier, reflecting a nominal decrease of less than 1%. Capacity utilization rate for refinery production for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was 74.7% compared to 75.4% for the same comparative period, reflecting a nominal decrease of less than 1%.
  
  

Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 Compared to Six Months Ended June 30, 2014

• Downtime at the Nixon Facility for the six months ended June 30, 2015 totaled 11 days compared to 7 days for the six months ended June 30, 2014.

• Total refinery throughput for the six months ended June 30, 2015 totaled 1,977,338 bbls, or 11,631 bpd, compared to 2,060,267 bbls, or 11,841 bpd, for the same period a year earlier. The 4% decrease primarily related to downtime.

• Total refinery production for the six months ended June 30, 2015 totaled 1,940,333 bbls, or 11,414 bpd, compared to 2,023,283 bbls, or 11,628 bpd for the same period a year earlier. The 4% decrease primarily related to downtime.

• Capacity utilization rate for refinery throughput for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was 77.5% compared to 78.9% for the same period a year earlier, reflecting a nominal decrease of 1.4%. Capacity utilization rate for refinery production for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was 76.1% compared to 77.5% for the same comparative period, reflecting a nominal decrease of 1.4%. 
  
  

Non-GAAP Performance Measures

This press release and its accompanying financial schedules report EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and refinery operating income, which are financial performance measures defined as non-GAAP by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). These non-GAAP financial performance measures are used by management to assess Blue Dolphin's operating results and the effectiveness of its business segments. Blue Dolphin's financial performance measures may be different than non-GAAP financial performance measures used by other companies. The presentation of this financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").

Below are the definitions of non-GAAP performance measures used by management in this press release:

• EBITDA reflects earnings adjusted to eliminate: (i) interest income (expense), (ii) income taxes, and (iii) depreciation and amortization. Refinery operations EBITDA reflects EBITDA for our refinery operations business segment. Total EBITDA reflects EBITDA for our refinery operations and pipeline transportation business segments, as well as corporate and other;
  
  

• Adjusted EBITDA reflects EBITDA prior to the JMA Profit Share. The JMA Profit Share represents the GEL Profit Share plus the GEL Performance Fee for the period pursuant to the Joint Marketing Agreement. Refinery operations adjusted EBITDA reflects adjusted EBITDA for our refinery operations business segment. Total adjusted EBITDA reflects adjusted EBITDA for our refinery operations and pipeline transportation business segments, as well as corporate and other; and
  
  

• Refinery operating income reflects refined petroleum product sales less direct operating costs (including cost of refined products sold and refinery operating expenses) and the JMA Profit Share, which is an indirect operating expense.
  
  

About Blue Dolphin
Blue Dolphin Energy Company ( OTCQX : BDCO ) is an independent refiner and marketer of refined petroleum products in the Eagle Ford Shale. Blue Dolphin's primary business is refinery operations at the 15,000 bpd Nixon Facility, which includes the refining of crude oil and condensate into marketable finished and intermediate products, as well as petroleum storage and terminaling. Blue Dolphin also owns and operates pipeline assets and has leasehold interests in oil and gas properties. For additional information, visit Blue Dolphin's corporate website at http://www.blue-dolphin-energy.com .

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements included in this press release, which express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those regarding future financial performance or results, or which are not historical facts, are "forward-looking" statements as that term is defined in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and such statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including but not limited to: dangers inherent in oil and gas operations that could cause disruptions and expose us to potentially significant losses, costs or liabilities and reduce our liquidity; geographic concentration of our assets, which creates a significant exposure to the risks of the regional economy; competition from companies having greater financial and other resources; laws and regulations regarding personnel and process safety, as well as environmental, health and safety, for which failure to comply may result in substantial fines, criminal sanctions, permit revocations, injunctions, facility shutdowns and/or significant capital expenditures; insurance coverage that may be inadequate or expensive; related party transactions with LEH and its affiliates, which may cause conflicts of interest; loss of executive officers or key employees, as well as a shortage of skilled labor or disruptions in our labor force, which may make it difficult to maintain productivity; our dependence on Lazarus Energy Holdings, LLC ("LEH") for financing and management of our property and the property of our subsidiaries; capital needs for which our internally generated cash flows and other sources of liquidity may not be adequate; our ability to use net operating loss carryforwards, which are subject to limitation, to offset future taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and other factors set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of Blue Dolphin's previously filed Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Blue Dolphin undertakes no obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

See notes to consolidated financial statements in Blue Dolphin's
quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.

10,449,829 10,436,363

See notes to consolidated financial statements in Blue Dolphin's
quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.

See notes to consolidated financial statements in Blue Dolphin's
quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2015.

For a reconciliation of refined petroleum product sales to total revenue from operations for our consolidated operations, refer to the Consolidated Statements of Income" contained within this press release.