Aramco and TotalEnergies have 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 of Saudi Arabia.
The award of EPC contracts for main process units and associated utilities marks the start of construction work on the project, following the final investment decision in December 2022.
Integrated with the SATORP existing refinery in Jubail, the new petrochemical complex will house the largest mixed-load steam cracker in the Gulf, with a capacity to produce 1.65 million tonnes of ethylene and other industrial gases per year.
The expansion is expected to attract more than $4 billion in additional investment in a variety of industrial sectors (carbon fibres, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tires) and create around 7,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country.
Amin H. Nasser, Aramco President & CEO, said the SATORP expansion project is the latest in a longstanding history of collaboration of almost five decades between the two companies.
“As part of Aramco’s growth strategy, the project is anticipated to contribute to value-addition opportunities in the Kingdom’s downstream ecosystem.”
The EPC contracts were awarded to:
- Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd — 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 Co. Ltd — for Tank Farm and SATORP integration.
- Gulf Consolidated Contractors Co. — for the transfer pipelines.
- Mohammed Ali Al-Suwailem Trading & Contracting Co. – for industrial support facilities.
- Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi & Partners Co. Ltd – for site preparation.
- Mobarak M. Al Salomi & Partners for Contracting Co. – for temporary construction facilities.
Amiral is being developed and will be operated by the SATORP joint venture owned by Saudi Aramco (62.5%) and TotalEnergies (37.5%). The project represents an investment of $11 billion. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023 with commercial operation planned for 2027.
