Asia petchem shares close mixed

(ICIS) -- Shares of petrochemical companies in Asia closed mixed on Wednesday, mirroring the regional bourses, with some nervousness in early trade from heightened geopolitical tensions between North and South Koreas.

Most regional markets were shaken by news of North Korea's military aggression on South Korea's Yeonpyaong island. In Seoul, SK Energy inched up 0.31% and Honam Petrochemical gained 1.05%, while LG Chemical fell 0.77% and Hanwha Chemical declined 1.36% as the benchmark KOSPI Composite Index slipped 0.15% to close at 1,925.98 points.

Japanese markets failed to immediately react on Tuesday's skirmish between the North and South Koreas as the country was closed for a public holiday.

Meanwhile, stock market indices in southeast Asia appeared to have shrugged off the issue, with majority of investors convinced that the tensions would not escalate into an all-out war, analysts said.

MRC

(Milliken) -- Milliken's Hyperform HPN nucleating agents provide major improvements in performance and processability of polypropylene (PP) grades intended for thermoforming as well as injection moulding.

Hyperform HPN additives provide isotropic shrinkage in formed parts. As a result, they can fix critical problems faced by processors involved in housewares, materials handling, high-speed moulding of thin-walled packaging and also technical components.

⌠If you have a problem with shrinkage and warpage, productivity, aesthetics, or stiffness/impact balance, there is a good chance that we can go a long way to solving it with Hyperform HPN, says Sami T.K. Palanisami, Market Manager Plastic Additives EMEA.

Typical applications range from increasing processability and optics in packaging grades, through cycle time reduction and warpage elimination in production of pallets and crates, to fine-tuning CLTE (coefficient of linear thermal expansion) and shrinkage in grades for automobile bumpers and instrument panels.

MRC

(Sabic) -- Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world's top six petrochemical companies, officially opened on 22nd of November its state-of-the-art polyolefin logistics centre in north-east England, which is replacing SABIC's current logistics centre in the UK. Located in Middlesbrough, Cleveland, the new facility underlines SABIC's long-term commitment to serving its UK customers.

The centre's fully scaleable design will ensure that SABIC is equipped to meet current and future market demand for all the products in its broad polyolefin portfolio, which includes Linear Low Density Polyethylene film (LLDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polypropylene (PP).

Commenting on the new facility, Raf Bemelmans, European Director for the Polymer Supply Chain: ⌠Our investment in this logistics centre demonstrates SABIC's faith in the UK market as a long-term consumer of polyolefin materials. The centre's logistics systems will enable us to support the growing use of bulk polymer handling operations that eliminate the need for manual interventions, such as ripping and tipping'.

MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- For the ten months the Russian producers increased HDPE production up to 669.4 KT which is 17% more compared to the same period last year. Despite unstable work of some producers, overall production has considerably grown this year.

In March Salavatnefteorgsintez started HDPE production with annual capacity of 120 KT. But still the plant hasn't reached its full capacity. For the eight months Salavatnefteorgsintez produced a bit more than 21 KT of polyethylene.

Nizhnekamskneftehim despite periodical switch to linear polyethylene production this year has increased HDPE output more than by 100 KT.

Totally taking into account the current level of capacities loading of the Russian producers, total volume of HDPE output by the end of the year may exceed the level of 800 KT. Gain in HDPE production will exceed 100 KT.

MRC

(ICIS) -- Arkema aims to generate earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) above ┬1bn ($1.37bn) in 2015 through innovation, growth in emerging markets and bolt-on acquisitions, the French specialty chemicals company said on Tuesday. This would correspond to an EBITDA margin of 14%, Arkema added. The company's EBITDA in 2009 was ┬310m.

Arkema said that in 2015, group sales were expected to total around ┬7.5bn, compared with around ┬5.8bn at the end of 2010. The company said this would happen as a result of innovation on sustainability, which should generate around ┬400m new sales in the next five years.

Growth would also be driven by a 60% increase of sales in emerging countries, especially in Asia. The company added that selective acquisitions in its best product lines would represent around ┬1bn of additional sales.

Arkema was spun off from oil major Total in 2006. It has operations in more than 40 countries and eight research centres. It employs 14,000 people.

MRC