TYUMEN, August 17. /TASS/. Zapsibneftekhim, a Tobolsk-based affiliate of the Russian petrochemical major Sibur, produced the first batch of the new HD 02604 LS black polyethylene grade, the corporate communications department of the petrochemical plant told TASS on Wednesday.

"Zapsibneftekhim has just recently produced the first batch of the new HD 02604 LS black polyethylene grade used to make large-diameter pipes. It is expected that the Tobolsk plant of Sibur will be able to bring up to 40,000 tonnes of this premium product to the market per year as early as from the next year after the grade certification. The domestic HD 02604 LS polyethylene will replace the earlier imported foreign analog, widely used in public utilities and the industry when laying water lines with the diameter over 530 mm," the department said.

Domestically produced technical grade carbon was tested successfully when making the new grade. According to the company’s forecast, mastering of one more production type will strengthen Sibur’s position in the black pipe polyethylene market, the department added.