OREANDA-NEWS. Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company, Orpic won with SKAPS the Best Joint Development of a new Product/ Application by a Resin Producer and Plastic Converter Award. The recognition was announced in the awarding ceremony of the 5th Plastics Excellence Awards 2015, an initiative of the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), which was celebrated by high profile representatives of the GCC's plastic industry in Dubai on Monday.

Commenting on the wining Faisal Al-Hajri, a senior polymer marketing expert at Orpic, said: "We are happy that GPCA recognized the extensive efforts we are making at Orpic and the strong collaboration we have with our customers. This success is a true reflection of a successful chain of integration between the polymer marketing, customer, operations and Lab to bring out the export potential of the new polypropylene grade."

He added: "Orpic's commitment towards its customers is an integral part of its growth strategy. Our aim is to continue building the Luban brand name as the leading global brand for Orpic's existing and future polymer business."

The GPCA Plastics Excellence Awards recognize outstanding initiatives in plastics conversion, plastics engineering and product development by companies and individuals from the Arabian Gulf region. Now in its fifth edition, the awards are part of GPCA's aspirations and continuous contributions to the enhancement of the region's plastics industry. Award recipients were chosen from 39 applications by a jury that included top executives from regional leading companies:

Best Joint Development of a new Product/ Application by a Resin Producer and Plastic Converter:

• Winner: Orpic, Oman together with Skaps and other national and international converters

o PP staple fiber grade with enhanced tenacity and elongation for geotextile applications

• Runners up: Sabic & Saudi Mais, Saudi Arabia

o Using Sabic's PS grade for Saudi Mais' nebulizer head

Best Plastic Products and Processes

• Winner: Equate, Kuwait

o Innovative LLDPE Product with high clarity and low blocking

• Runners up: Reifenh?user and Napco, Saudi Arabia

o Evolution of an ultra-cool FFS blown film system

Best Researcher

• Winner: Dr Orass Hamed, from Sabic's R&D Center, Saudi Arabia

o Polyolefin catalysis

• Runners up: Dr Kumar Yadav and Dr Hau Qua, Nipras Tasnee, Saudi Arabia

o Conducting polyolefin: a way for commodity converting into specialty polyolefin

Student competition - Fikra: Rising Stars of the Plastics Industry

• Winner: Rayan Zakaria Mubarak Al-Ahmadi and Khaleed Saleah Al-Mosalam, Trainees in Diploma course of Plastics Fabrication Technology, Higher Institute of Plastics Fabrication, Saudi Arabia

o Eliminating long spues from injection molds

• Runners up: Sultan Al-Otaibi and Omar Al-Enezi

o Development of injection molding method of elimination of a weld-line

A school project from the Sultanate got recognized during the event as well. Saham School for Girls supported by Orpic, participated in the award with an innovative recycling project. A team from the school developed a unique project about plastics recycling which involved a full year plan of different activities.

Ahmed Al Naqbi, the external relations manager at Orpic said: "Our support stems from our strong believe on innovation and the importance of protecting and preserving our environment and this is motivated as well by one of our values at Orpic which is we put safety and the environment first.

Orpic has concluded its participation in GPCA's Plasticon 2015 which focuses on the growth of plastics conversion both globally and in the GCC countries. The conference represents a platform for the development of the downstream industry by showcasing the value that the regional producers bring to the converters. The agenda for this year covered commentaries and discussions on latest trends (local, regional and international) in markets, technology and product groups. Orpic as well has concluded this week it's participation in the international Arabplast Exhibition, which is considered the largest plastics, petrochemicals and rubber industry trade show in MENA.