Riyadh: Engineering, procurement, and construction contracts for the $11 billion Amiral complex, an expansion of the Kingdom's SATORP refinery that will house a large-scale petrochemicals facility, have been awarded to Aramco and TotalEnergies.

Amin H. Nasser, president and chief executive of Aramco, and Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and chief executive officer of TotalEnergies, were present at a signing ceremony in Dhahran.

Government representatives from Saudi Arabia, France, South Korea, and Won Hee-ryong, the country's minister of land, infrastructure, and transportation, as well as business leaders from Aramco, TotalEnergies, and EPC firms, were also present.

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Following the final investment decision in December 2022, construction work on the joint petrochemical expansion will begin with the award of EPC contracts for main process units and related utilities.

Aiming to contain one of the largest mixed-load steam crackers in the Gulf with a capacity to produce 1,650 kilotons of ethylene and other industrial gases annually, the new complex will be integrated with the current SATORP refinery in Jubail.

More than $4 billion in additional investment is anticipated as a result of this expansion in a number of industrial sectors, including carbon fibres, lubricants, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive parts, and tyres. Additionally, it is anticipated to generate 7,000 local direct and indirect jobs.

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The following companies received the EPC contracts: Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi and Partners Co. Ltd., Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi and Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd., Maire Tecnimont, Sinopec Engineering (Group) Saudi Co. Ltd., Gulf Consolidated Contractors Co., Mohammed Ali Al-Suwailem Trading and Contracting Co.

With the SATORP expansion project being the most recent in a long history of collaboration between the two companies spanning almost five decades, Nasser said: "Today we are taking a major step forward in further strengthening the partnership between TotalEnergies and Aramco.

"We thank the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Investment for their tremendous support through the Shareek programme to make this multi-billion-dollar project a reality. The project is anticipated to contribute to value-adding opportunities in the Kingdom's downstream ecosystem as part of Aramco's growth strategy.

"This milestone opens a new chapter in our shared history with Aramco, with whom we are thrilled to be associated once more," Pouyanne said.

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"This expansion project strengthens the excellent partnership that our two companies have had in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for many years. We appreciate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy's assistance in the creation of this outstanding project.