Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) and Bahrain’s National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) are expected to choose an engineering, procurement and construction contractor for their joint aromatics chemicals complex in Bahrain by June 2017, according to industry sources. 

The 1.44 million tonnes a year (t/y) capacity aromatics plant has Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) as the front end engineering design (feed) contractor.

The naphtha feedstock for the facility will also be provided by the state oil company.

Financing options haven’t been discussed yet, a source said.

The two firms signed an agreement in October 2016 to jointly develop the aromatics complex.