Saudi oil giant Aramco and TotalEnergies awarded engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for the $11 billion Amiral complex, a future world-scale petrochemicals facility expansion at the Satorp refinery in the kingdom.
The EPC contracts are for main process units and associated utilities of the Amiral complex and marks the start of construction work on the joint petrochemical expansion, following the final investment decision in December last year.
The EPC contracts have been awarded to several leading firms such as:
*Hyundai Engineering & Construction – for a mixed feed cracker and utilities, with a nameplate capacity of 1,650 kta of ethylene and related industrial gases, and utilities, flares and interconnecting systems that support main packages within the facilities.
*Maire Tecnimont – for two polyethylene units using Advanced Dual Loop technology, with a nameplate capacity of 500 kta each, and the derivative units.
*Sinopec Engineering (Group) Saudi – for tank farm and Satorp integration.
*Gulf Consolidated Contractors – for the transfer pipelines.
*Mohammed Ali Al Suwailem Trading and Contracting – for industrial support facilities.
*Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi and Partners – for site preparation.
*Mobarak M. AlSalomi and Partners – for temporary construction facilities.
The signing ceremony was held at Dhahran in the presence of Amin H Nasser, Aramco President and CEO, and Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO.
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 more than $4 billion in additional investment in a variety of industrial sectors, including carbon fibers, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tires. It is also expected to create around 7,000 local direct and indirect jobs.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nasser said: “Today we are taking a major step forward in further strengthening the partnership between Total Energies 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 program to make this multi-billion-dollar project a reality,” he added.
Pouyanné pointed out that this landmark opens a new page in Total Energies’ shared history with Aramco. “This expansion project reinforces the exemplary relationship that our two companies have enjoyed for several decades in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he added.
The ceremony was also attended by Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea, government officials from Saudi Arabia, France and South Korea and company executives from Aramco, TotalEnergies as well as Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Maire Tecnimont, Sinopec Engineering, Gulf Consolidated Contractors, Mohammed Ali Al Suwailem Trading and Contracting, Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi and Partners as well as Mobarak M. AlSalomi and Partners.