UPDATE 1-Unipetrol posts 27 pct rise in 9-month net profit

(Adds more profit figures, news conference, background)

PRAGUE, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Czech downstream oil processor Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> on Thursday posted a 27-percent rise in its consolidated nine-month net profit compared with a year earlier.

Net profit at the unit of Polish oil refiner PKN Orlen <PKNA.WA> rose to 2.91 billion crowns ($132.8 million) in January-September, from 2.29 billion crowns in the year-ago period.

Revenues grew 8 percent to 71.81 billion crowns.

Analysts had expected an improvement in Unipetrol's profitability, as petrochemical margins widened following a 20 percent decline in crude oil prices from record highs in August.

The company involved in crude oil refining, petrochemicals and fuel distribution scheduled a news conference for 12.00 p.m. (1100 GMT) to detail the results.

Unipetrol did not release official figures for the third quarter alone and the market consensus forecast for the nine-month period was unavailable.

A Reuters poll of seven analysts gave an average net profit forecast of 1.23 billion crowns for the July-September quarter.

In first nine months of 2006, earnings per share increased to 16.06 crowns from 12.62 in the prior year.

Profit attributable to shareholders was up 22.5 percent at 2.83 billion crowns for the nine-month period.

Operating profit before financing costs rose 17 percent to 4.48 billion crowns.

Before the earnings release, Unipetrol shares have traded at about 10 times this year's projected earnings, a mild premium over slightly more than 8 times on its parent PKN stock, according to Reuters Estimates.

PKN Orlen holds 63 percent of Unipetrol. ($1=21.91 Czech Crown) ((Reporting by Marek Petrus, editing by Ben Tan, Paul Bolding; Reuters Messaging: rm://marek.petrus.reuters.com@reuters.net; e-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com or marek.petrus@reuters.com; Tel: +420 602 317 651)) For main central European company news, double click on [.CEE]

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Keywords: ENERGY CZECH UNIPETROL