OREANDA-NEWS. October 9, 2012. Russian petrochemical company SIBUR and Solvay have signed an agreement to establish RusPAV, a 50/50 joint venture for the production of surfactant1 and oilfield process chemicals in Dzerzhinsk, Russia. The agreement was signed during the 26th Gastech Conference in presence of the Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, Alexander Novak, by Dmitry Konov, CEO of SIBUR, and Emmanuel Butstraen, Head of Solvay’s Global Business Unit Novecare.

Demand for surfactants in the CIS is growing at more than six percent annually2. The surfactants are used mainly in home & personal care products, oil & gas as well as in other industries. RusPAV will be located near SIBUR’s petrochemicals operations, 400km east of Moscow, and is expected to be operational in 2015.

SIBUR will contribute its raw materials, production and logistics capabilities to the joint venture. It will also, given its longstanding experience of the Russian petrochemicals market, support the development of the surfactants business in oil and gas markets in Russia and the CIS. Solvay’s Novecare, a worldwide leader in surfactants, will provide its expertise in surfactant technologies, its knowledge of formulations and market applications and its worldwide customer network, particularly in the home & personal care and oil & gas markets, including global key accounts with a strong presence in the region.

"Solvay’s strong experience in the surfactants business combined with SIBUR’s unique raw materials base and market knowledge, will enable us to strengthen our leading positions in the CIS market," said Dmitry Konov, CEO of SIBUR. "Thanks to this venture with our longtime and well-established Russian partner SIBUR, we can bring our experience and technology to this dynamic region and help our customers tackle the challenge of developing performance products for the Oil & Gas and Home & Personal Care markets," explained Emmanuel Butstraen, Head of Solvay’s Global Business Unit Novecare.

"This joint venture supports SIBUR’s ambition to expand commercialization of its core products into carefully selected fast growing markets. We look forward to deliver value added products to our future customers," commented Valery Andosov, Director for Business development of SIBUR’s Plastics and Organic Synthesis Division.

 "Novecare is now able to support its key customers in all fast growing countries," added Emmanuel Butstraen.