UNIPETROL, a.s. (“Unipetrol”) informs that today at around 9 a.m. at the Chempark Záluží plant in Litvínov there was a propylene leakage at the steam cracker unit followed by a blast and fire. As a consequence of the emergency steam cracker unit shutdown a new fire emerged at another part of the unit. Polymer units were subsequently shut down as well which overall represents shutdown of the whole petrochemical production. According to the latest information from the site, the fire is already being kept under control and the facilities are being cooled down. The remaining propylene in the affected place needs to burn down, therefore the fire will continue in a limited extent for some time. Production at the ammonia unit has been reduced to minimum. Litvínov refinery has not been affected however crude oil throughput has been reduced to minimum due to precautionary reasons.

It is currently too early to estimate the length of the shutdown. Crude oil throughput at the Litvínov refinery will be in any case limited as it is the key provider of feedstock, virgin naphtha, for the steam cracker unit. Estimation of the length of the petrochemical production shutdown, precise impact on the Litvínov refinery utilization for the shutdown period and estimation of negative impact on Unipetrol Group financial results is now subject of further evaluation and analysis which will take several days upon which we will release a follow-up regulatory announcement with more details.

In Prague, 13 August 2015
UNIPETROL, a.s.
Regulatory announcement No. 22/2015

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