Aramco and TotalEnergies award petrochemical contracts
The award of EPC contracts for main process units and associated utilities marks the start of construction work on the joint petrochemical expansion, following the final investment decision in December.
Integrated with the existing SATORP refinery in Jubail, the new complex aims to house one of the largest mixed-load steam crackers in the Gulf, with a capacity to produce 1,650 kilotons per annum of ethylene and other industrial gases.
This expansion is expected to attract additional investment in a variety of industrial sectors, including carbon fibres, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tires. It is also expected to create around 7,000 local direct and indirect jobs.
Amin H. Nasser, Aramco president & CEO, said: “Today we are taking a major step forward in further strengthening the partnership between TotalEnergies and Aramco, with the SATORP expansion project being the latest in a longstanding history of collaboration of almost five decades between both companies.
“As part of Aramco’s growth strategy, the project is anticipated to contribute to value-addition opportunities in the Kingdom’s downstream ecosystem, and we thank the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Investment for their tremendous support via the Shareek programme to make this multi-billion-dollar project a reality.”