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At the signing ceremony, standing from left, are YASREF Director Lian Mingxiang, Sinopec Group Assistant President and MD of HR Qin Du, Sinopec Group President Zhao Dong, Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser, Aramco Downstream President Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, and Aramco Executive Vice President of Products & Customers and YASREF Chairman Yasser M. Mufti. Sitting, from left, are Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding Limited President Zou Wenzhi, YASREF President & CEO Saad Bin Matlig, and Aramco Vice President of Liquid-to-Chemical Program Development Fahad Alsahali. Photo Credit: Saudi Aramco

DHAHRAN | April 09, 2025

Saudi Aramco and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) have taken a decisive step to elevate their joint venture, the Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (YASREF), into a new era of petrochemical innovation and integration. Marking YASREF’s 10^th anniversary, the two energy giants have signed a Venture Framework Agreement (VFA) to advance a major expansion of the YASREF complex, strategically located on Saudi Arabia’s west coast in Yanbu.

A Strategic Leap in Downstream Integration

The expansion project is designed to transform YASREF into a fully integrated refining and petrochemical powerhouse. Central to the plan is the construction of a state-of-the-art mixed-feed steam cracker with an annual ethylene capacity of 1.8 million tons, complemented by a 1.5 million tons per year aromatics complex and associated downstream derivatives.

These new facilities will be woven into the existing YASREF infrastructure, maximizing operational synergies and enabling the production of high-value petrochemical products to meet rising global demand.

The YASREF expansion is part of Aramco’s broader $100 billion liquids-to-chemicals program, which includes the development of multiple mixed-feed crackers both within Saudi Arabia and internationally

A Decade of Progress, A Future of Opportunity

YASREF, a joint venture owned 62.5% by Aramco and 37.5% by Sinopec, has been a symbol of dynamic China–Saudi energy cooperation since its inception.

Since commencing operations in 2015 with a crude refining capacity of 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day—expanded to 430,000 b/d in 2020—YASREF has played a key role in Saudi Arabia’s industrial landscape.

The planned expansion is expected to further enhance YASREF’s ability to deliver high-quality petrochemical products, support the energy transition, and foster long-term industrial partnerships between Saudi Arabia and China.


#sinopec  #aramco  #yasref  #yanbu  #saudiarabia  #refining  #petrochemicals  #refineryexpansion 

SASREF Refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia © Saudi Aramco Media Gallery

Saudi Aramco is preparing to initiate the main tendering phase for a major expansion of its Saudi Aramco Jubail Refinery Company (Sasref) in Jubail Industrial City, with the solicitation of interest (SoI) round expected in the second quarter of 2025. This project is a key component of Aramco’s $100 billion liquids-to-chemicals program, designed to transform the Sasref refinery into an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex through the addition of a mixed-feed and of an ethane cracker, that will draw ethane from an adjacent refinery.

South Korea’s Samsung E&A is currently executing pre-FEED and FEED work under an 18-month contract awarded by Aramco in March 2024 and the project is expected to move into the EPC tendering phase following completion of the engineering studies.

Strategic international collaboration is central to the expansion. In November 2024, Aramco signed a development framework agreement in Beijing with China’s Rongsheng Petrochemical, outlining joint planning and cooperation for the Sasref project. This builds on earlier agreements from April and September 2024, which set the stage for a potential joint venture, with Rongsheng considering the acquisition of a 50% stake in Sasref and Aramco potentially taking a 50% stake in Rongsheng’s Ningbo Zhongjin Petrochemical Company (ZJPC)

Aramco has been the sole owner of Sasref since acquiring Shell’s 50% stake in 2019. The Sasref expansion is part of Aramco’s broader strategy to maximize value from its crude production, expand its downstream footprint, and foster international partnerships in both Saudi Arabia and China.

#aramco  #rongsheng  #steamcracker  #sasref  #jubail  #saudiarabia  #refinery  #petrochemicals  #refineryexpansion 

Daxie refinery, Nov 4, 2024 / Ningo Petrochemical Association

China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) announced plans to commission its upgraded refinery and petrochemical complex on Daxie Island, Ningbo, later this year, following a major investment totaling approximately $2.74 billion.

Recent updates from CNOOC's refining division provide detailed insights into the expansion project, including the capacities of key processing units. The upgraded facility will feature:

• A new crude processing unit with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd), doubling the site's total crude processing capability to 240,000 bpd (12 million tonnes per year).
   
• A catalytic cracker capable of producing 1.4 million tonnes per year (tpy).
   
• A hydrocracker with an annual production capacity of 2.2 million tpy. 
   
• A continuous reformer designed to process up to 1 million tpy.
   
• Two polypropylene units, each with an annual production capacity of 225,000 tpy, for a combined output of 450,000 tpy.

The project has achieved several key milestones. As of October 30, 2024, the utility engineering project for the integrated refinery complex—comprising 14 units—successfully passed intermediate handover inspections. Despite challenges such as tight construction schedules and overlapping interfaces, the project team implemented innovative solutions to streamline processes and ensure timely progress.

#ningbo  #china  #daxie  #cnooc  #refinery  #refineryexpansion