Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical Co. to develop refining and petrochemical complex

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Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. Monday signed an agreement to become joint venture partners in the development of a large, integrated refining and petrochemical complex in the Red Sea town of Rabigh, on Saudi Arabia's west coast.

The joint venture agreement follows successful completion of a joint feasibility study, during which both companies performed front end engineering design and verified the viability of the project. The joint feasibility study began on May 9, 2004, when Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the effort.

The project has moved to an early phase of execution with the recent award of multiple engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts. When completed in late 2008, the Rabigh Project will be one of the largest integrated refining and petrochemical projects ever to be built at one time.

A total of 2.4 million tons of petrochemical solids and liquids, along with large volumes of gasoline and other refined products, will be produced. Also, this project has created third-party investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia's private sector for utilities and other related infrastructure.

For Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical, the project represents an opportunity for the world's largest producer of hydrocarbons to partner with a leading world-class petrochemical producer.

Through this joint venture, Sumitomo Chemical, a major producer of polyolefins, will secure a reliable and stable supply of feedstock to strengthen its medium- and long-term competitiveness. This project constitutes an important step forward in enhancing the global competitiveness of the company's petrochemical operations.

Saudi Aramco currently owns and operates a topping refinery at Rabigh with a nominal crude distillation capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The existing site and infrastructure will serve as the base platform for the development of the Rabigh Project.