Cracker inquiry goes out for Yanbu

14 May 2004
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic)has issued a preliminary inquiry to ethylene technology licence holders for the cracker unit on its planned Yanbu petrochemical complex. Members of the ethylene club, which includes ABB Lummus Global, Stone & Webster and Kellogg Brown & Root- all US-based - Germany's Linde and Paris-based Technip, have been invited to respond by 22 May (MEED 26:3:04).

Sabic is planning to tender the technology supply and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the cracker later this year. The mixed feedstock cracker will have capacity of 1.3 million tonnes a year (t/y) and provide feedstock for an 800,000-t/y polyethylene unit and a 700,000-t/y ethylene glycol facility. A 350,000-t/y polypropylene unit is also planned.

An award is awaited for the project management consultancy (PMC) contract on the Yanbu complex. The bidders for the contract, which also covers front-end engineering and design (FEED) work, are ABB, Bechtel, Fluor Daniel, Foster Wheeler, Jacobs Engineeringand Parsons Corporation, all US-based, and the UK's AMEC. Fluor Daniel is understood to be the frontrunner for the contract.

The Yanbu scheme will be a scaled-up version of Sabic's Jubail United Petrochemical Company (United)complex, the main units of which are nearing completion by US and Japanese contractors (MEED 7:11:03).

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