Aramco and TotalEnergies on Saturday (June 24) 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 Saudi Arabia. A signing ceremony took place in Dhahran attended by Amin Nasser, Aramco president and CEO, and Patrick Pouyanné, TotalEnergies chairman and CEO. The award of EPC contracts for main process units and associated utilities marks the start of construction work on the joint petrochemical expansion, following the final investment decision in December. 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 fibers, lubes, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts and tires. It is also expected to create approximately 7,000 local direct and indirect jobs. Today we are taking a major step forward in further strengthening the partnership between TotalEnergies and Aramco, with the SATORP expansion project being the latest in a longstanding history of collaboration of almost five decades between both companies. — Amin Nasser “As part of Aramco’s growth strategy, the project is anticipated to contribute to value-addition opportunities in the Kingdom’s downstream ecosystem, and we thank the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Investment for their tremendous support via the Shareek program to make this multi-billion-dollar project a reality,” Nasser added. Pouyanné said the landmark deal “opens a new page in our shared history with Aramco, which we are delighted to be associated with once again. “This expansion project reinforces the exemplary relationship that our two companies have enjoyed for several decades in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We would like to thank the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its support throughout the development of this world-class project,” he said. The signing ceremony was also attended by HE Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea, government officials from Saudi Arabia, France and South Korea and company executives from Aramco, TotalEnergies and EPC firms. 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 a tank farm and SATORP integration Gulf Consolidated Contractors Co. — for the transfer pipelines Mohammed Ali Al-Suwailem Trading and Contracting Co. for industrial support facilities Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi and Partners Co. Ltd for site preparation Mobarak M. AlSalomi and Partners for Cont. Co for temporary construction facilities. Caption for top photo: Aramco and TotalEnergies signing ceremony for the “Amiral” complex, a future petrochemicals facility expansion.