Gross margin: the year over year decrease of 1.5 percentage points was due to the impact of the time lag for passing higher raw material costs through to selling prices, together with higher manufacturing costs linked to increased energy prices.
Operating expenses: the year over year increase of $10.9 million was due to higher selling expenses driven by increased sales volumes, including higher provisions for doubtful debts, together with higher research and development costs and higher personnel-related expenses, including higher share-based compensation accruals and higher performance-related remuneration accruals.
Oilfield Services
Net sales: have increased year over year by $165.8 million, or 68 percent, with the majority of our customer activity being concentrated in the Americas region. Customer demand has increased each quarter in 2022, which we believe represents a positive sign for further sales growth for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023.
Gross margin: the year over year increase of 0.6 percentage points was due to a favorable sales mix, while management continue to maintain prices in a competitive market.
Operating expenses: the year over year increase of $43.2 million was driven by higher customer service costs which are necessary to support the increase in demand, together with higher personnel-related expenses, including higher share-based compensation accruals and higher performance-related remuneration accruals, and increased provisions for doubtful debts.
Other Income Statement Captions
Corporate costs: the year over year increase of $12.5 million was driven by higher personnel-related expenses, including higher share-based compensation accruals and higher performance-related remuneration accruals, together with increased maintenance expenditure for our information technology infrastructure.
Other net income/(expense): for the first nine months of 2022 and 2021, included the following:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
(in millions) | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | Change | |
Net pension credit | | $ | 3.7 | | | $ | 3.9 | | | $ | (0.2 | ) |
Profit on disposal of assets | | | — | | | | 0.2 | | | | (0.2 | ) |
Foreign exchange gains/(losses) on translation | | | (10.4 | ) | | | 1.2 | | | | (11.6 | ) |
Foreign currency forward contracts gains/(losses) | | | 6.5 | | | | 0.9 | | | | 5.6 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | $ | (0.2 | ) | | $ | 6.2 | | | $ | (6.4 | ) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Interest expense, net: was $1.1 million in the first nine months of 2022 compared to $1.1 million in the first nine months of 2021. Interest expense includes a commitment fee to retain the Company’s revolving credit facility for the term of the agreement.
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