Victrex Plc posted a higher full-year pretax profit

(Reuters) - British high-tech plastics firm Victrex Plc posted a higher full-year pretax profit as both its business units performed well, and said it expected 2012 earnings in line with market expectations.


Victrex, whose key PEEK polymer product is used in aircraft components, car parts and surgical instruments, said sales volume rose to 2,860 tonnes from 2,535 tonnes a year ago.

Sales from Invibio business, which caters to medical device makers, rose 12 percent to 49.7 million pounds.


For the year ended Sept. 30, pretax profit rose to 94.2 million pounds from 74.9 million pounds last year.


Revenue rose 14 percent to 215.8 million pounds.


The company, which ended the period with 72.3 million pounds in cash, raised final dividend by 32 percent to 24.5 pence per share.


Victrex shares, which have risen about 6 percent since it said in October that it expected full-year profit in line with expectations, closed at 1,192 pence on Monday on the London Stock Exchange.


MRC

Celanese announced an increase of EVA prices

(Celanese) -- Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company and a North American leader in Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) polymers, announced today that its subsidiary, Celanese EVA Performance Polymers Inc., will increase the price of all grades of Ateva EVA by USD0,10/pound and all grades of LDPE by USD0,06/pound effective January 1, 2012, or as contracts allow.

MRC

JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp to conduct planned maintenance on its naphtha cracker

(Reuters) - Japan's top refiner JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp will conduct planned maintenance on its naphtha cracker at its Kawasaki plant near Tokyo in 2012, industry sources familiar with the matter said.
The company conducts maintenance on the cracker once every four years. A JX spokesman declined comment.


The company last conducted a turnaround at the unit between Aug. 21 and Sept. 30 2008.


MRC

In Russia HDPE production in November increased by 3%

(MRC) -- In November, Russian producers increased their output of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to 67.5 thousand tonnes. Over the 11 months, total volume of HDPE output in Russia grew by 3% and made 767 thousand tonnes, according to MRC ScanPlast.


In November, Russian producers produced about 67.5 thousand tonnes of HDPE, which was by 15% more than in October. As per MRC analysts, due to a scheduled turnaround of HDPE production at Kazanorgsyntez, Gazprom neftechem Salavat and Stavrolen, total volume of production in October fell to 58.5 thousand tonnes.


Last month, Russian producers increased their output of film and blow molding HDPE. However, the output of injection molding and pipe grades of polyethylene decreased. In some degree the decline in pipe HDPE production resulted from switching of Nizhnekamskneftechem to production of linear polyethylene in November.


Following the 11 months' results, total volume of HDPE production by Russian producers made 767 thousand tonnes that was by 3% more, year on year.


Nizhnekamskneftechem has shown the greatest increase in production - about 16%. Despite the technical difficulties in the early autumn, Gazprom neftechem Salavat this year increased the volume of the HDPE by one third to the 35.5 thousand tonnes. Because of a weekly suspension for a scheduled turnaround, Stavrolen showed a modest increase in production volumes - 4%. Kazanorgsyntez, on the contrary, this year reduced production of high-density polyethylene by 8%.


MRC

LyondellBasell delivered USD5.5 bln of EBITDA over the last 12 months

(PRNewswire) -- LyondellBasell CEO Jim Gallogly today told participants at the company's annual Investor Day in New York that LyondellBasell is well positioned for the future. The company has had successive quarters of record results and delivered USD5.5 billion of EBITDA over the last 12 months.


Gallogly and other LyondellBasell executives reviewed recent financial performance, the near-term outlook, a business segment-by-segment report of achievements, and the company's plans for growth in front of an audience of investors participating in the half-day program that was broadcast on the company's website.

"The past 18 months have been a period of significant progress at LyondellBasell," Gallogly said. "We have rebuilt this company from the plant floor up. We have improved our cost structure, strengthened our balance sheet and enhanced all aspects of our operations. The collective efforts and success of our employees around the world in implementing our back-to-basic strategy is proof we have what it takes to become the premier commodity petrochemical company. We believe we have now earned the right to grow and are well-positioned for the future," Gallogly said.


MRC