Dec 16 Reuters Phillips 66 said on Monday it would sell its 25 stake in the Gulf Coast Express pipeline in Texas to an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners for 865 million, setting the U.S. refiner on course to exceed its asset sale target.

Despite a fall in refining profits, Phillips 66 has opted to maintain stable investor payouts by cutting down on costs and setting a divestiture target of 3 billion through noncore asset sales.

The company had already sold fuel terminals, pipelines and a stake in a Switzerland retail joint venture to raise 2.7 billion before Monday39;s announcement.

We intend to continue to optimize the portfolio and rationalize noncore assets going forward, said Phillips 66 CEO Mark Lashier.

It also forecast a reduction in refining segment expenditure to 822 million in 2025, compared with the 1.07 billion it expects to spend for the unit in 2024.

U.S. refining margins are expected to stabilize next year, according to data from the Energy Information Administration, backed by an uptick in industrial demand and refinery closures, including Phillips 6639;s Los Angeles area plant.

The company expects its overall expenditure to be 2.1 billion next year, compared with the 2.2 billion it had projected for 2024.

Reporting by Sourasis Bose in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri

Source Reuters