Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur Holding (Moscow; www.sibur.ru) has carved out a new base polymers division from its plastics and organic synthesis division as it continues its polyolefins expansion drive – see Plasteurope.com of 09.11.2010. The division to be headed by the former deputy director of plastics and organic synthesis, Sergei Komyshan, will coordinate operational and production activities in PE and PP, as well as marketing, sales and business development. Additionally it will oversee Sibur’s participation in RusVinyl (Nizhniy Novgorod; www.rusvinyl.ru), the PVC joint venture with SolVin (Brussels / Belgium; www.solvinpvc.com), and the cooperation with partner NPP Nefekhimya.

When construction of the 500,000 t/y PP complex to be operated by Tobolsk Polymer (www.tobolsk.sibur.ru) is completed in the third quarter of 2012, the new base polymers division will handle pre-marketing activity for the output. Work on the Tobolsk facility is proceeding apace, Sibur said. Three distillation columns were recently delivered to the construction site to handle ethane-propane and isobutene-butane fractionation in preparation of a new 2.8m t/y gas fractionation plant. Capacity of the existing Tobolsk-Neftekhim fractionation unit will be increased to 3.8m t/y starting next month.