Offshore Technology

Aramco, TotalEnergies award contracts for Saudi Arabian petrochemical complex

The $11bn Amiral complex will be integrated with the existing SATORP refinery on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast.

Aramco and French company TotalEnergies have awarded contracts for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of main process units and associated utilities for the $11bn Amiral complex in Saudi Arabia.

The Amiral complex is due to be integrated with the existing Saudi Arabia Total Refining and Petrochemical (SATORP) refinery in Jubail on the eastern coast of the country.

The contracts mark the start of construction work on the Amiral complex, which will feature a mixed-load steam cracker with a production capacity 1.65 million tonnes of ethylene and other industrial gases per year, TotalEnergies said.

One of the contracts has been awarded to Hyundai Engineering & Construction for a mixed feed cracker and utilities.

Maire Tecnimont has been selected to build two polyethylene units using Advanced Dual Loop technology, while Sinopec Engineering Group Saudi will be responsible for Tank Farm and SATORP integration.

TotalEnergies and Aramco also awarded EPC contracts to Gulf Consolidated Contractors for the transfer pipelines; Mohammed Ali Al-Suwailem Trading & Contracting for industrial support facilities; Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi & Partners for site preparation; and Mobarak M. Al Salomi & Partners for Contracting for temporary construction facilities.

Due to be commissioned in 2027, the facility will be designed to enable SATORP to convert internally produced refinery off-gases and naphtha, as well as Amcor-supplied ethane and natural gasoline, into higher value chemicals.

In addition, the new complex will provide feedstock to other petrochemical and specialty chemical plants in the Jubail industrial area.

TotalEnergies earlier said that the overall complex, together with adjacent facilities, would create 7,000 jobs.

Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser 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 long-standing history of collaboration of almost five decades between both companies.”