REPORT ABOUT DELAYED START-UP OF THE ETHYLENE UNIT

When preparing the ethylene unit for its putting into operation a serious fault was identified in PA 701, a piece of complicated heat exchange apparatus (the so-called cold box). According to the information received from the manufacturer so far, repair will take several weeks. UNIPETROL RPA is preparing measures intended to make it possible to put the ethylene unit back into operation without PA 701, with limited hydrogen supplies from the partial oxidation unit (POX). We expect the POX unit to be operable again from 8 November 2007; the ethylene unit will be operable for production on 6 to 7 November 2007.

The preparations for the start-up, adjustments for operation without PA 701 and tests of retrofitted machines and equipment of the ethylene unit will continue for the whole of next week. It will then be possible to operate the unit until the repair of PA 701 with limited output (70 to 80 per cent of its maximum capacity).