Contractors share EPC contracts for giant $11 billion petrochemical facility construction in Saudi Arabia

Aramco and TotalEnergies signing ceremony for the “Amiral” complex, a future petrochemicals facility expansion at the SATORP refinery in Saudi Arabia. (Image: Aramco)

A total of seven contractors have won engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for the $11 billion “Amiral” petrochemical facility expansion in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) and TotalEnergies awarded the contracts for the expansion at the SATORP refinery.

The award of EPC contracts for main process units and associated utilities marks the start of construction work on the joint petrochemical expansion, after an investment deal in December 2022 allowed the project to move forward.

The EPC contracts were awarded to:

• 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.
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction — for a mixed feed cracker and utilities, with a nameplate capacity of 1,650 kilotons per annum (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.

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 fibres, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tires.