In Ukraine PVC production grew in the third quarter

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Ukrainian producer Karpatneftechem is increasing suspension PVC production. In the third quarter, overall production of PVC-S made 43.5 KT, as per MRC DataScope. Ukrainian Karpatneftechem (Lukoil Group) keeps on increasing suspension PVC output. In September overall output of the resin made 15.4 KT. Over the last three months, the enterprise produced 43.5 KT of suspension PVC. Over incomplete five operating months, overall output exceeded 53.6 KT. In October a further growth of PVC production in Ukraine is expected. By the end of the year Karpatneftechem is targeting at project capacity of 300 KTa.

Exports is growing along with production. Over the last two months, exports of the Ukrainian PVC exceeded 10 KT. Poor external markets and transport problems, particularly, during supplies to Russia, restrain export sales. Nevertheless, the company management plans to increase exports to 150 KT (to Russia), 20 KT (to the Eastern Europe) and 30 KT (to Turkey).

Investments to Karpatneftechem PVC plant made $234 mln. The enterprise also plans to start production of goods out of PVC-S. Lukoil has already invested more than $500 mln in Karpatneftechem. The president of the company Vagit Alekperov announced to invest yet $500 mln in development of operating enterprises and creation of production of PVC finished goods.

MRC

(Platts) -- State-owned China Petrochemical Corp., or Sinopec Group, and the provincial government of Guizhou has launched a coal-based petrochemical project in southwest China, which involves the oil major investing Yuan 18 billion ($2.8 billion) for the first phase of the project.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on Wednesday, according to a report by Sinopec published on its website on Friday.

In the first phase, Sinopec will build a 1.8 million mt/year coal-to-methanol complex, a 600,000 mt/year methanol-to-olefins unit, a 300,000 m

MRC

(Arabian oil and gas) -- A source close to Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) revealed that China has stipulated that KPC should pay USD 500m as guarantee to allow the lay down of the foundations related to the joint venture petrochemical complex in China, Kuwaiti local news paper al-Ray al-Aam reported.

⌠This condition is insuperable, which will oblige the company to go ahead with the project even if the feasibility study proves its un-feasibility, the newspaper quoted the source as saying. ⌠Shall KPC pay the money, as an installment of cost of the project, without having a strategic partner after the exit of Shell Chemicals, and without receiving the final approvals? - the source said.

He also added that the initial studies conducted by Foster Wheeler related to a seperate refinery project in Vietnam cost only USD 45m without paying an installment.

MRC

(BASF) -- This year again, BASF is presenting its engineering plastics, polyurethanes and masterbatch preparations at the Fakuma, the international trade fair for plastics processing in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Styrolution and its styrenics will also be there.

A special highlight will be the world's first all-plastic wheel rim that is suitable for high-volume production. It will be shown on the new smart concept car ⌠smart forvision which includes many more BASF innovations. The wheel rim is made from Ultramid Structure, the long fiber reinforced polyamide that BASF presented at K 2010 for the first time. The material can be used not only in the automotive sector, but also for facade curtain walls and special wall plugs.


Particularly interesting for the automotive sector are also the highly heat-stabilized Ultramid Endure, which is especially well-suited for use on turbocharged engines, and Ultrason E Dimension, the polyether sulfone that combines dimensional stability, stiffness and good processability thanks to a new formulation.

From its PBT line, BASF will be discussing the new Ultradur LUX. Compared to PBT grades currently on the market, this material exhibits twice the laser transparency, creating previously unknown opportunities for reliable laser welding of PBT parts.

In the field of photovoltaics BASF has, in the meantime, become very active with its polyamides Ultramid A3X2G7 and Ultramid A3XZG5 for connectors and junction boxes. Both materials are certified on the basis of the f1 weathering test (UL).

MRC

(ICIS) -- Dow Chemical reaffirmed on Tuesday its near-term goal of USD 10bn in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). Dow has already achieved USD 8.6bn (EUR 6.5bn) in EBITDA for the last four quarters combined, chief executive Andrew Liveris said at Dow's investor day. ⌠We see bright spots in recession-resistant sectors such as agriculture, food packaging, energy and health and nutrition, he said.

⌠Furthermore, our diversified and well-balanced portfolio provides us with significant advantages in rapidly growing regions of the world - which continue to grow, he added.
Liveris said that Dow also has benefitted from a significant feedstock advantage in the form of liquids-rich shale gas plays in the US.

Additionally, he said, Dow has divested businesses that represented USD 8bn in revenue, but which had only single digit EBITDA margins, such as Styron and its polypropylene (PP) segment.

MRC