Aramco, TotalEnergies to build new Satorp petrochemical complex

Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies SE have taken final investment decision (FID) to advance construction of a proposed grassroots petrochemical complex that would be integrated into their existing joint venture Saudi Aramco Total Refinery & Petrochemicals Co.’s (Satorp) 440,000 b/d full-conversion refinery complex at Jubail, on Saudi Arabia’s eastern coast.

As part of the mid-December FID and still subject to customary closing conditions and approvals, the partners will invest a total of about $11 billion—$4 billion of which will be funded through equity by Aramco (62.5%) and TotalEnergies (37.5%)—to build the proposed Amiral complex that will be owned, operated, and integrated with Satorp’s refinery, the companies said.

To be equipped with a mixed-feed cracker equipped to produce 1.65 million tonnes/year (tpy) of ethylene, the planned Amiral complex would enable Satorp to convert internally produced refinery offgases and naphtha, as well as ethane and natural gasoline supplied by Aramco, into high-demand chemicals as part of Aramco’s plan to advance its liquids-to-chemicals strategy, according to the partners.

Alongside the cracker, the complex also will include:

• Two polyethylene units based on proprietary Advanced Dual Loop technology codeveloped by TotalEnergies and Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LLC.
• A butadiene extraction unit.
• Other yet-to-be-identified associated derivative units.

Scheduled to begin construction during first-quarter 2023 for targeted startup of commercial operations in 2027, the new complex aims to provide feedstock to proposed petrochemical and specialty chemical plants slated to be built, owned, and operated in the Jubail industrial area by other global downstream investors for manufacturing of carbon fibers, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts, and tires, Aramco and TotalEnergies said.

In addition to serving the manufacturing sector, the partners said the planned Satorp petrochemical complex also complements the two companies’ shared commitments of expanding sustainable, efficient production of advanced chemicals by maximizing synergies within an integrated platform to support a circular economy.

In July 2022, Satorp was the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s first refinery to secure the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC+) designation, an international certification program that recognizes a company’s responsible approach to sustainable development for circular materials, which includes advanced recycling processes to recover waste and residues that can be turned into feedstock for circular plastics, chemical intermediates, and consumer-facing products.

Following the July ISCC+ certification, Satorp processed its first batch of recycled plastic at the refinery in November 2022, Aramco and TotalEnergies said.