SAUDI ARAMCO
Plans for petrochemicals in Saudi Arabia / New cracker construction with partner Sinopec
— By Plasteurope.com staff —
The downstream ambitions of oil and gas corporation Saudi Aramco (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; www.saudiaramco.com) are taking shape in a new project with Sinopec (Beijing, China; www.sinopecgroup.com) – this time in Saudi Arabia, following a mega-project on the Gulei Peninsula in China’s Fujian Province. The refinery operated by the 62.5/37.5 joint venture Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining (Yasref), with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day, is to be expanded into an integrated petrochemical complex. Until now, the Yanbu refinery has only comprised two medium-sized plants for benzene and paraxylene.
The downstream ambitions of oil and gas corporation Saudi Aramco (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; www.saudiaramco.com) are taking shape in a new project with Sinopec (Beijing, China; www.sinopecgroup.com) – this time in Saudi Arabia, following a mega-project on the Gulei Peninsula in China’s Fujian Province. The refinery operated by the 62.5/37.5 joint venture Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining (Yasref), with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day, is to be expanded into an integrated petrochemical complex. Until now, the Yanbu refinery has only comprised two medium-sized plants for benzene and paraxylene.
 Aramco and Sinopec deepen ties with contract signing in Dhahran (Photo: Saudi Aramco) |
The aim of the framework agreement signed in Dhahran is to construct a cracker with an ethylene capacity of 1.8 mn t/y and an associated larger aromatics complex with a total capacity of 1.5 mn t/y – both of which are scheduled to be operational by 2030.
Related: Saudi Aramco is shifting petrochemicals and plastics focus towards Asia
In addition, plans for downstream plants are in place, but have not yet been defined. Whether the plans will include plastics production, such as for polyethylene, was not initially disclosed when enquired by Plasteurope.com.
15.04.2025 Plasteurope.com [257794-0]
Published on 15.04.2025
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