The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) signed a 30 million Saudi riyals (eight million dollars) contract with Bechtel to conduct a feasibility study on a $3.2 billion project to set up a 1.4 million-ton capacity alumina refinery and a 620,000-ton capacity aluminum smelter plant.
The Al-Zabirah bauxite project in northern Saudi Arabia involves the production of 3.4 million tons of bauxite. When completed, the refinery and smelter will be the largest of their kind in the Middle East.
Preliminary studies have shown that the area between Qassim and Hail in the north has bauxite deposits of more than 126 million tons, 57 percent of which is alumina grade bauxite. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
