OREANDA-NEWS. LUKOIL has confirmed the mechanical availability of the equipment required to resume production at the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production unit, as well as at the chlorine and caustic production units, of its Karpatneftekhim petrochemical enterprise (Kalush, Ukraine), from today.

Production of commercial PVC in compliance with the approved monthly brand assortment is scheduled to begin on November 7, 2013.

Commissioning of the ethylene production unit is scheduled for December of 2013.

In addition, operations are being conducted at the ethylene-production unit and at the raw base to enhance the volume of gas-stock intake, storage and processing.

The company resumed polyethylene production in September of 2013.

As previously reported, the production of ethylene and polyethylene, vinyl chloride, caustic soda, chlorine and suspended polyvinyl chloride (PVC) had been suspended a year earlier, in September of 2012, due to unfavorable conditions in the petrochemical market.

In April of 2013, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers and LUKOIL signed a memorandum on implementing certain measures to bring the plant to a cost-effective level of production.