Norsk Hydro 　　http://www.hydro.com/en/

　Hydro is considering public listing or divestment of its petrochemical business, Hydro Polymers

INEOS Capital to buy Hydro's polymers business

　　　European Commission Gives Clearance for INEOS acquisition of Hydro Polymers

Hydro Polymers　　　http://www.hydropolymers.com/en/

Production in Norway

Hydro Polymers production plants in the Norway are located in the Grenland region in Telemark, in the south of Norway.

The PVC plant is located on Heroya Industrial Park in Porsgrunn, and the Chlorine/VCM plant and the head office is located on Rafnes Industrial Site in Bamble. The two plants are situated on either side of the Frier Fjord, connected by a 3,500 meter pipeline tunnel. The PVC plant has produced PVC since 1951, whereas the production of chlorine and VCM started in 1978.

Hydro Polymers is the only PVC producer in Norway. The operation in Norway employ 315 staff, and generate an annual turnover of 2,100 million Norwegian kroner. The plant has an excellent record of health and safety and was awarded the Norsk Hydro President’s Safety Award for 2001.

PVC plant - Porsgrunn

Suspension PVC　 125 kT
Emulsion PVC 　　　25 kT

Chlorine/VCM plant - Rafnes

VCM　　　　　　　　470 kT
Chlorine　　　　　　130 kT
Caustic soda　　　 140 kT
Hydrochloric acid　25kT

Number of employees: 315

Noretyl AS - Norway

50% ownership with Borealis of Noretyl AS. Located adjacent to Hydro Polymers' Rafnes plant, the Noretyl plant is an ethylene cracker providing feedstock products used in the production of VCM, polyethylene and polypropylene.

Production in Sweden

Hydro Polymers operate two production plants in Sweden, a large fully integrated PVC resin/paste plant at Stenungsund on the west coast and a separate PVC compounding operation at Helsingborg in the south of Sweden.

Hydro Polymers at Stenungsund

Located 50 km north of Gothenburg, the Stenungsund industrial park is the petrochemical production centre for Sweden. PVC and caustic soda have been manufactured at this site for more than 30 years and Hydro Polymers is the only PVC production plant in Sweden.

With 380 employees and an annual turnover of 2,000 million Swedish Kroner, Stenungsund is a completely integrated PVC operation from the conversion of raw salt to finished PVC suspended resin and PVC emulsion paste. The plant has an excellent record of health and safety and continually strives to raise its environmental standards.

VCM　　　　　　　　140 kT
Chlorine　　　　　　116 kT
Caustic Soda　　　 131 kT
Suspension PVC　144 kT
Emulsion PVC　　　58 kT

Employees 　　　　370

Hydro Sydplast at Helsingborg

Trading under the name of Hydro Sydplast, Hydro Polymers’ operation on the Berga Industrial Estate, at Helsingborg, is the leading producer of PVC Compound for Scandinavia.

The plant has been operating under various owners for over 30 years since being founding in the 1960s. Today, with a staff of 56, and an annual turnover of 170 million Swedish Kroner, the company prides itself on its customer orientation and its continual focus on safety, health and environment.

PVC Compound　　　15 kT

Employees 　　　　　　56

Production in UK

Hydro Polymers production plant in the UK is located at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, in the north east of England.
The plant is located on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate and has been in place for over 50 years under various owners since the founding of Newton Aycliffe in the 1940s. Aycliffe is one of only two plants producing PVC in the UK, and houses Europe’s largest single site compounding operation.

The operation is one of the most modern and progressive PVC plants in the world, employing 400 staff, generating an annual turnover of £150 million, and boasting an excellent health, safety and environmental record.

Suspension PVC　　　　　　245 kT
PVC Compound　　　　　　 125 kT

Employees 　　　　　　　　　402

Suzhou Huasu Plastics - China

31.8% ownership of Suzhou Huasu Plastics. Situated at Liujiagang, Taicang, on the south bank of Yangtze River (approximately 40minutes drive from Shanghai), Suzhou Huasu Plastics produces PVC resin for the Chinese market, and film for the export-oriented industry.

Qatar Vinyl Company - Qatar

29.7% share in the Qatar Vinyl Company. Located in the Mesaieed Industrial Area in Qatar, the Qatar Vinyl Company produces the feedstock chemicals caustic soda, ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Most of this production is being shipped by sea from the shared QP port facilities to customers in Asia and Australia.
http://www.qatarvinyl.com/

　

CIRES - Portugal　　　信越化学とのJV

26% share in CIRES. Situated at Estarreja in Portugal, Companhia Industrial de Reinas Sinteticas (CIRES) is a manufacturer of both PVC emulsion and PVC suspension resins for the European market.

2006/12/6 Hydro Norsk

Hydro to grow from broader oil and gas portfolio, maintains speed in aluminium repositioning

Hydro is well-positioned for long-term profitable growth in its energy and upstream aluminium operations but industry capacity constraints delay oil and gas production growth, the Norwegian-based company said at its Capital Markets Day. Growing Hydro’s oil and gas resource base, pursuing upstream aluminium growth opportunities and maintaining cost control remain top priorities, together with completing the Ormen Lange gas field development for start up 1 October 2007. Hydro expects most of the ongoing restructuring of downstream aluminium to be completed by end 2007.

“Hydro is stronger than ever. Our technology, competence and financial strength, together with a broader portfolio of development and exploration projects beyond 2010, give me great confidence in our strategy for future growth,” said Eivind Reiten, Hydro’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are maneuvering in an increasingly challenging global landscape but our talented organization, proven project execution skills and our experience in cooperating with partners are more valuable than ever.”

Hydro’s Capital Markets Day presentation includes the following highlights:

• Hydro targets 2007 oil and gas production of 605,000 boed (barrels of oil equivalents per day).
• Hydro expects oil and gas production to reach 700,000 boed in 2010.
• Continued high exploration activity with Hydro participating in approximately 60 exploration and appraisal wells in 2007.
• Hydro expects production costs in 2006 to be NOK 25 per boe and the target for 2007 is NOK 28 per boe, both excluding gas injection costs. From 2007 onward, production costs are expected to stabilize somewhat below NOK 28 per boe.
• At the end of 2006, Hydro’s expected oil and gas reserves from sanctioned projects are estimated at about 2.7 billion boe. Expected additional resources from non-sanctioned projects are estimated at 1.2 billion boe. The expected combined resource base is 3.9 billion boe, up 120 million boe from the end of 2005.
• Primary aluminium production is expected to be 1,730,000 tonnes in 2007 and 2,000,000 tonnes in 2010.
• Divestment of Hydro’s 49-percent share in Meridian Technologies for NOK 0.6 billion and divestment of Automotive Castings for NOK 3.7 billion, representing key steps to reduce engagement downstream aluminium.
• Investments and exploration expenditures in 2006 will amount to NOK 28 billion, NOK 2 billion below previous estimates.
• Investments and exploration expenditures in 2007 are expected to be NOK 30 billion, of which NOK 4 billion in Aluminium Metal and NOK 24 billion in Oil & Energy, including exploration expenditures of NOK 6 billion.
• Hydro is considering public listing or divestment of its petrochemical business, Hydro Polymers.