HAIFA, Israel, May 24, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

- Quantity refined increases to 2,133 tons compared to 1,967 in the same quarter of the previous year - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA at $33 million compared to $48 million in the same quarter of the previous year - Consolidated loss of $3.5 million for the first quarter 2010 compared with consolidated income of $75 million in the first quarter of 2009 - Acquisition of remaining shares of Haifa Basic Oils (HBO) and Carmel Olefins (CAOL) led to a decline in the reported net profit in the amount of about $12 million - Adjusted refining margin USD/bbl 3.2 compared to USD/bbl 3.5 average Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin - Last Twelve Months (LTM) adjusted refining margin for the year ending March 31, 2010 was at $4.5 per barrel, compared to $ 2.0 per barrel for Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin

Oil Refineries Ltd. (TASE: ORL.TA) (hereinafter the Company, ORL), Israel's largest oil refiner, announced today its financial results for the first quarter 2010, ending March 31, 2010. Results are reported in US Dollars and under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

- During this period, which was characterized by high volatility and low refining margins, the Petrochemical sector contributed positively to Oil Refineries' results. - LTM adjusted refining margin for the year ending March 31, 2010 was at $4.5 per barrel, compared to $ 2.0 per barrel for Reuter's quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin - Adjusted refining margin USD/bbl 3.2, compared to USD/bbl 3.5 average Reuters' quoted Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin. - Adjusted EBITDA in the Refining sector reaches $9 million in the first quarter of 2010 compared with $32 million in the first quarter of 2009. - EBITDA from Polymers reached $17 million in the first quarter of 2010 compared with $8 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. In actuality, the EBITDA in CAOL was $17 million for both quarters mentioned, wherein the difference is attributed mainly to the increase of the Company's stake in CAOL. - EBITDA from Aromatics reached $10 million in the first quarter of 2010 compared with $8 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. - EBITDA from Lube-Oils reached $3 million in the first quarter of 2010 compared to a zero balance in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The activities of Lube-Oils were first merged in 2010 with acquisition of shares in HBO.

Note: This quarter saw volatility in the price of crude oil and its products, with crude oil ending the year at $78 per barrel, declining to $70 per barrel in the course of the quarter, climbing to $80 per barrel by the end of the first quarter 2010, and declining once more to $71 per barrel at the time of publishing these first quarter results.

The first quarter 2010 also saw volatility in the product prices produced by the Company, which are derived from crude oil produced and sold by the company. Since there is no absolute correlation in the timing and scope in the price differences of these products and that of world crude oil, a significant volatility is caused in the refining margins.

As accepted by major leading international refiners and marketers of oil and its products, the results are presented as reported as well as net of the accounting provision for inventory gains or write offs, in addition to buying and selling timing and derivative accounting methods under IFRS. This is in order to enable a common base for comparison of the Company's ongoing operations.

FIRST QUARTER 2010

Adjusted refining margin for Q1 2010 totaled USD/bbl 3.2, compared with the average Mediterranean Ural Cracking Margin quoted by Reuters of USD/bbl 3.5. Adjusted refining margin for Q1 2009 totaled USD/bbl 4.4 compared with the average margin of USD/bbl 3.4.

The utilization rate for Q1 2010 was at 89%, compared to 88.6% for Q1 2009.

Reported consolidated EBITDA for Q1 2010 totaled $35 million compared with $98 million in Q1 2009.

Adjusted consolidated EBITDA for Q1 2010 totaled $33 million compared with $48 million in Q1 2009.

Financing expenses for Q1 2010 totaled $12 million, compared with a financing income of $14 million in Q1 2009. The rise in financing expenses is mainly attributed to a decline in the fair value of hedging instruments, interest costs from short-term financing, a decline in the market value of tradable securities, and a loan to the early retirement fund.

The consolidated loss for Q1 2010 totaled $3.5 million, compared with a consolidated income of $75 million in Q1 2009.

PROGRESS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN

Hydrocracker - In February 2010, the Company signed a binding agreement with a consortium of financiers, led by Bank Hapoalim Ltd., in which the consortium will offer financing of up to 600 million dollars to fund part of the project.

In addition, following an approval by Congress, the US export credit agency, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, approved the provision of guarantees totaling about $300 million in conjunction with other export credit agencies from Europe, for a loan that will be provided by a foreign bank to the Company for the purpose of acquiring the necessary equipment to establish the hydrocracker. Following the finalization of the financing arrangements, the Company has embarked on full investments in installing the facility.

CAOL and HBO Acquisition - After completing the acquisition of shares in CAOL and HBO, the Company is acting for a rapid realization of the consolidation benefits between the two companies and for the optimization of the resulting operational synergies.

Mr. Yashar Ben Mordechai, CEO of Oil Refineries: Fluctuations in the price of fuel oil during the first quarter of 2010 reduced the company's refining margins in the short term. However, flexibility in ORL's facilities, together with the increased integration of the petrochemicals sector and completing a merger with CAOL, supported the company's results, despite the reduction in refining margins. To these recent developments of the past year, including facility upgrades and conversions, we will be adding the activation of Phase 2 of the hydrocracker this June. We expect that its operation will contribute to overall margins by increasing the production scale of diesel fuel by about 1.5 - 2% per annum and, together with Phase 1, it will enhance the capabilities of the company's diesel fuel production by about 3 - 4% in total. ORL is at an advanced stage of consolidating CAOL into the Company. With every phase of this process, additional operational synergies are obtained, contributing to the capabilities and flexibility of the Company and will increase the long-term profitability of ORL by executing general operational optimization and optimal investment planning.

Mr. Ben Mordechai added: ORL will take advantage of its capabilities developed in recent years in creating new markets for its products in order to achieve maximum value. These capabilities allow the Company to reduce its exposure to troubled markets, as required. With the establishment of the hydrocracker, which is expected to be operational in mid-2012, the Company will be able to demonstrate the advantages and flexibility of its facilities to its full effect, making the most of the opportunities in global markets

Mr. Yossi Rosen, Chairman of the Board of Oil Refineries: ORL is aware of what is happening in the European market and the company's management has been working to shift its products away from European markets in favor of more profitable markets. The exposure of the fuel products and aromatics in the European market is minimal and the Company is not expecting a significant impact of the instability regarding the sales of these products. It should be stressed, that despite the instability currently prevailing in Europe, the Company's exposure to currency fluctuations is negligible and has no effect on the Company's results. The implementation of the long-term strategy of ORL demonstrates the company's ability to weather the existing markets and volatility of the economic crisis, while yielding good results over time. Accordingly, the $900 million financing plan for the purpose of financing the hydrocracker, at the expected cost of $500 million and the refinancing of the Company's debt, is going as planned.

This is the largest real investment plan implemented in the Israeli market in the last year. The plan is intended for implementation of the strategic plan and to assure the Company's other needs in the coming four years as well as for the Company's long-term resilience.

Mr. Rosen further added: Construction of the hydrocracker is an important part of the Company's strategic plan and will convert Oil Refineries into a unique refinery in the Eastern Mediterranean, integrating the capabilities of its petrochemical industries with its refining capability at a high level. The company thanks the government for its determination in continuing its efforts regarding the connection of the natural gas pipeline to the Haifa Bay. ORL's expected transition to the use of natural gas constitutes an important facet of the Company's strategic implementation, in order to enable construction of the hydrocracker, and ORL is ready, after investing $45 million in preparations, for its integration.

Conference Call

The Company will also be hosting a conference call later today, Monday, May 24th, 2010. On the call, management will present a presentation reviewing the first quarter highlights and industry trends. The presentation is available for download from the Company's website http://www.orl.co.il: Investor Relations Financial Reports.

To participate in the conference call, please call one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin placing your calls at least 10 minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, please try the international number.

US Dial-in Numbers: 1-866-860-9642

UK Dial-in Number: 0-800-051-8913

Israel Dial-in Number: 03-918-0692

International Dial-in Number: +972-3-918-0692

at: 14:30 UK Time, 9:30 ET, 6:30 PT, 16:30 Israel time. A replay of the call will be available after the call on the Company's website at http://www.orl.co.il.

About Oil Refineries Ltd.

Oil Refineries Ltd. (ORL), located in the bay area of the city of Haifa, operates Israel's largest oil refinery. ORL runs sophisticated and state-of-the-art industrial facilities with a refining capacity of 9.8 million tons of crude oil per year and a Nelson Complexity Index of 7.4, providing a variety of quality products used in industrial operation, transportation, private consumption, agriculture and infrastructure. The Company is also active in the area of Polymers and Aromatics through its holdings in Carmel Olefins Ltd and Gadiv Petrochemical Industries Ltd. The Company's shares are listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker ORL. For additional information please visit http://www.orl.co.il.

The above noted in this release includes forward-looking statements based on Company data, as well as Company plans and estimations based on this data. The activity, results and other data may be substantially different in reality given uncertainty and various risks, including those discussed under risk factors in the Company's financial statements and Director's reports.

Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position USD thousands As at March 31, March 31, December 2010 2009 31, 2009 (Unaudited) (Audited) Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 21,817 12,607 34,961 Deposits 93,436 63,746 77,637 Financial derivatives - 12,820 - Investments in financial assets at fair value through comprehensive income 110,162 95,427 107,034 Trade receivables 437,049 236,399 360,876 Other receivables and debt balances 103,786 75,049 62,495 Inventory 1,203,044 717,370 1,016,453 Current tax assets 5,164 39,734 3,957 Total current assets 1,974,458 1,253,152 1,663,413 Non-current assets Investments in equity-accounted Investees 13,785 35,725 13,673 Investments in available-for-sale financial assets 17,535 - 10,909 Loan to Haifa Early Pensions Ltd. 71,302 71,117 76,053 Long term loans and debit balances 3,806 2,522 3,951 Financial derivatives 143,892 26,921 120,671 Employee benefit plan assets 10,462 4,619 9,993 Property, plant and equipment 1,893,458 1,119,015 1,891,659 Deferred expenses, net 1,360 322 1,366 Intangible assets, net 89,126 22,239 93,187 Total non-current assets 2,244,726 1,282,480 2,221,462 Total assets 4,219,184 2,535,632 3,884,875

Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position USD thousands As at March 31, March 31, December 2010 2009 31, 2009 (Unaudited) (Audited) Current liabilities Loans and borrowings 845,259 476,544 603,685 Trade payables 647,342 326,382 542,025 Other payables and credit balances 140,964 67,319 105,903 Financial derivatives 35,622 1,384 28,051 Provisions 11,514 12,185 11,582 Dividend declared 75,000 - - Total current liabilities 1,755,701 883,814 1,291,246 Non-current liabilities Debentures 853,695 649,655 853,205 Bank loans 324,216 210,799 358,310 Liabilities for finance lease 8,858 7,656 8,768 Other long-term liabilities 14,739 7,306 15,973 Financial derivatives 9,198 8,339 3,111 Employee benefits 64,358 54,616 63,871 Deferred tax liabilities 126,854 91,209 138,464 Total non-current liabilities 1,401,918 1,029,580 1,441,702 Total liabilities 3,157,619 1,913,394 2,732,948 Capital Non-controlling interests - - 17,183 Share capital 586,390 472,478 586,390 Share premium 100,242 - 100,242 Reserves 40,851 16,564 35,571 Retained earnings 334,082 133,196 412,541 Total equity attributed to 1,061,565 622,238 1,134,744 shareholders of the Company Total capital 1,061,565 622,238 1,151,927 Total liabilities and capital 4,219,184 2,535,632 3,884,875

Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Comprehensive Income USD thousands Three months period ended Year ended March 31, March 31, December 2010 2009 31, 2009 (Unaudited) (Audited) Revenue 1,704,771 984,358 5,141,480 Cost of sales, refinery and services 1,664,497 880,977 4,850,744 Revaluation of open positions in derivatives on prices of goods and margins, net 4,644 1,245 38,606 Total cost of sales 1,669,141 882,222 4,889,350 Gross profit 35,630 102,136 252,130 Selling expenses (19,617) (8,773) (44,509) General and administrative expenses (20,218) (13,121) (57,794) Negative goodwill arising on a business combination - - 137,000 Profit from revaluation of a prior holding due to increase in control - - 77,561 Loss from the loss of material impact in a former equity-accounted investee, net of tax - - (7,091) Operating profit (loss) (4,205) 80,242 357,297 Finance income 29,583 58,772 61,223 Finance expenses (41,690) (44,407) (86,866) Finance income (expenses), net (12,107) 14,365 (25,643) Company's share in profits of equity-accounted investees (net of tax) 179 4,591 4,892 Profit (loss) before taxes on income (16,133) 99,198 336,546 Tax benefits (taxes on income) 12,546 (24,607) 12,698 Profit (loss) for the period (3,587) 74,591 349,244

The following tables present selected information compared to the corresponding period last year (USD Millions)

Petrochemicals Refining Trade Polymers 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 Revenue 1,233 784 67 58 261 84 Inter-company operations 246 86 - - - - Total sales 1,479 870 67 58 261 84 Cost of sales 1,454 778 68 57 127 50 Inter-company operations 11 9 - - 114 27 Total cost of sales 1,465 787 68 57 241 77 Gross profit (loss) 14 83 (1) 1 20 7 Selling, general and administrative expenses 13 11 2 1 14 4 Inter-company operations - - - - 1 1 13 11 2 1 15 5 Segment operating profit (loss) 1 72 (3) - 5 2 Amortization of the excess cost arising from acquisition of investees Operating profit (loss) Finance income (expenses) Share in profits of investees, net of tax Profit (loss) before taxes on income Tax benefits (income tax) Net profit (loss)

(continued) Adjustments to Aromatics Oils consolidated Consolidated Three months ended March 31, 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 Revenue 127 58 17 - - - 1,705 984 Inter-company operations 11 9 - - (257) (95) - - Total sales 138 67 17 - (257) (95) 1,705 984 Cost of sales 5 (3) 3 - - - 1,657 882 Inter-company operations 117 58 11 - (253) (94) - - Total cost of sales 122 55 14 - (253) (94) 1,657 882 Gross profit (loss) 16 12 3 - (4) (1) 48 102 Selling, general and administrative expenses 8 6 - - - - 37 22 Inter-company operations - - - - (1) (1) - - 8 6 - - (1) (1) 37 22 Segment operating profit (loss) 8 6 3 - (3) - 11 80 Amortization of the excess cost arising from acquisition of investees (15) - Operating profit (loss) (4) (80) Finance income (expenses) (12) (14) Share in profits of investees, net of tax - 5 Profit (loss) before taxes on income (16) 99 Tax benefits (income tax) 12 (24) Net profit (loss) (4) 75

Company Contact: Rony Solonicof Chief Economist and Head of IR Tel. +972-4-878-8152 Contact IREn@orl.co.il Investor Relations Contact: Ehud Helft / Porat Saar CCG Israel Tel. (US) +1-646-233-2161 / (Int.) +972-52-776-3687 info@ccgisrael.com

SOURCE: Oil Refineries Ltd

CONTACT: Company Contact: Rony Solonicof, Chief Economist and Head of IR,Tel. +972-4-878-8152, Contact IREn@orl.co.il; Investor Relations Contact:Ehud Helft / Porat Saar, CCG Israel, Tel. (US) +1-646-233-2161 / (Int.),+972-52-776-3687, info@ccgisrael.com