The last large-size equipment was installed at POLIEF as part of PET expansion project

MOSCOW (MRC) -- The last large-size equipment has been built up at Bashkir POLIEF (SIBUR group), one of the major PET producers and the only producer of terephthalic acid (PTA) in Russia, as part of the investment project "PETF-210," said the company on its website.

The installed unit is a crystallizer, which is part of the key equipment of the project for the expansion of PET production from 120,000 to 210,000 tonnes per year.

The 40-tonne crystallizer became the last large-size equipment delivered to the facility as part of "PETF-210" project. Due to the fact that such equipment is not available in Russia, the crystallizer was made as per the order of UOP in Italy and delivered to Blagoveshchensk by special transport.

The unit is one of the most important equipment that the licensor supplies. It is aimed for the process of solid state polycondensation of PET, said the Assistant General Director for the development, the Head of POLIEF's project Urmantsev Ural.

Apart from the cristallizer the company had previously built up a 30-meter reactor for the solid state polycondensation SSP, which is the main equipment for the production of crystalline PET for food containers.

Besides, in February, Polief launched the fourth water purification system, which is targeted to ensure the reliability of the plant water supply.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a raw material for the production of polyester fibers and plastic containers.

POLIEF (Blagoveshchensk, Bashkortostan) is Russia's largest producer of polyester, the only Russian producer of terephthalic acid (PTA), one of the leading Russian producers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

SIBUR, the largest integrated gas processing and petrochemical company in Russia and the CIS countries, as well as Central and Eastern Europe, is a controlling shareholder of POLIEF.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2012, said the company.

Results for the fourth quarter of 2012 include: revenues of USD1.1 billion versus USD1.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Operating income of USD15 million compared to operating income of USD19 million for the prior year period. Fourth quarter 2012 operating income reflected lower volumes and unfavorable product mix shift, partially offset by the positive impact of savings from the shared services agreement with Momentive Performance Materials Inc. (MPM).

Fourth quarter 2012 operating income was also negatively impacted by USD8 million due to a temporary manufacturing outage at one of epoxy resin facilities. Net loss of USD52 million versus net loss of USD47 million in the prior year period. Fourth quarter 2012 results reflect the same factors impacting operating income.

Segment EBITDA totaled USD84 million compared to USD106 million during the prior year period.

Fiscal year 2012 results include: revenues of USD4.8 billion in 2012 compared to USD5.2 billion during the prior
year period driven primarily by the impact of volume decreases of USD260 million and unfavorable foreign currency translation of USD193 million.

Operating income of USD202 million in 2012 compared to operating income of USD368 million for the prior year period. Full-year 2012 operating income reflected the same trends as the fourth quarter of 2012. Selling, general and administrative expense decreased by USD13 million due to lower project and transaction costs, as
well as various cost reduction initiatives. Net income of USD324 million in 2012 versus net income of USD118 million in 2011.

2012 and 2011 results reflect the same factors impacting operating income. 2012 net income also reflected a USD365 million tax benefit as a result of the release of a significant portion of the Company's valuation allowance in the United States.

Segment EBITDA totaled USD490 million in 2012 compared to USD635 million in 2011. In addition, the Company reported Adjusted EBITDA for the last twelve months of USD530 million, which includes cost reduction program savings, as well as savings that the Company expects to achieve in connection with the shared services
agreement with MPM.

As MRC wrote earlier, Momentive and OAO Shchekinoazot, a large Russian industrial chemicals producer, formed a joint venture company to manufacture resins for the forest products and construction markets.

Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., previously Hexion Specialty Chemicals, is a chemical company based in Ohio. Momentive Specialty Chemicals is an operating company of Momentive Performance Materials Holdings. Momentive Specialty Chemicals makes thermoset resins used in the construction, transportation, electronics and automotive industries. Products include acrylic monomers, amino resins, epoxy resins, phenolic resins, polyester resins, versatic acid and derivatives.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Novatek and Total's joint liquefied natural gas project in the Russian Arctic, Yamal LNG, said Monday it had selected France's Technip and Japan's JGC Corp. to contruct the liquefaction plant, according to Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Technip and JGC Corp. will build a plant of three liquefied natural gas trains with an annual capacity of 16.5 million
tonnes.

Yamal LNG didn't disclose details of the consortium's winning bid.

Novatek, Russia's largest non-state gas producer, owns 80% of Yamal LNG. Total holds the remaining 20%. The project is expected to produce its first gas in 2017.

As MRC wrote earlier, ZapSibNeftekhim LLC, an affiliate of JSC Sibur Holding, awarded two front-end engineering and design (FEED) contracts to Technip for polyethylene plants located in Tobolsk, in the Tyumen region of Russia.
The first contract concerns a linear-low/high-density gas phase polyethylene plant.

In the first decade of March, Technip signed two agreements with State Corporation Russian Technologies (Rostec). The agreements aim at manufacturing flexible pipes and umbilicals in Russia, for the Arctic region and the Black Sea oil fields, as well as at the construction and renovation of refining and petrochemical units in Russia.

Technip is a world leader in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry.
From the deepest Subsea oil & gas developments to the largest and most complex Offshore and Onshore infrastructures, our 30,000 people are constantly offering the best solutions and most innovative technologies to meet the world's energy challenges.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Toyo Engineering Corporation has been jointly awarded with ENPPI, an engineering company under the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum, a contract to build a 400,000 t/y polyethylene plant as part of Ethydco's petrochemical complex to be established in Alexandria, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and owned by ETHYDCO, the Egyptian Ethylene and Derivatives Company, said 4-traders.

This will be the largest polyethylene plant in Egypt.

TOYO and ENPPI, based on polyethylene technology of Univation Technologies of U.S., will execute the EPC and Commissioning under a lump-sum turnkey contract. TOYO will lead the entire project execution, undertaking project management, basic engineering, and procurement of key equipment. ENPPI will be in charge of joint project management, a part of basic engineering, detailed engineering and procurement of other equipment and materials.

Both companies will execute the construction and commissioning in collaboration with PETROJET, an Egyptian construction company as a subcontractor. The contract amount is approximately USD 400 million and the plant is scheduled for start-up in early 2015.

TOYO's twenty one polyethylene plant projects worldwide and the sixth project experiences in the Arab Republic of Egypt in succession to Ethydco's 460,000 t/y ethylene plant and 20,000 t/y butadiene extraction plant which are under project execution by TOYO jointly with ENPPI (see MRC news).

The Egyptian Government announced its 20-year Petrochemicals Master Plan to develop the Petrochemicals Industry in 2001 under the sponsorship and supervision of the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Co. (Echem). Hence, this project is to be executed as a part of the national Petrochemicals Master Plan. TOYO, through this project, will contribute to the development of the petrochemical industries in the country.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- LyondellBasell, one of the major petrochemical global producers and the world's largest maker of polypropylene, has finished maintenance work at its Houston refinery and all units that were being worked on are have returned to service, reported The Wall Street Journal with reference to the company's spokesman David Harpole.

"The first quarter 2013 maintenance turnaround at the LyondellBasell Houston refinery has successfully concluded," Mr. Harpole said in an emailed statement. "All equipment involved in the turnaround has returned to service and operations are stable," he said.

This year the 268,000 barrel-a-day refinery made adjustments to its coking and crude distillation equipment to increase the amount of heavy Canadian crude it can process.

As MRC informed earlier, LyondellBasell is going to raise its ethylene capacity in North America by 18% in coming years through several debottlenecking project.

LyondellBasell Industries NV is a manufacturing company. The Company produces chemicals, fuels, and polymers used for packaging, clean fuels, durable textiles, medical applications, construction materials, and automotive parts. LyondellBasell Industries operates globally and is headquartered in the Netherlands. LyondellBasell is also a leading licensor of polypropylene and polyethylene technologies. The more than 250 polyolefin process licenses granted by LyondellBasell are twice that of any other polyolefin technology licensor.
MRC