Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Ltd (Samref), a JV of Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil, has completed a clean fuels project at its 400,000 b/d refinery that will “reduce the sulfur levels in gasoline and diesel by more than 98% to 10 parts per million.” A new 60,000 b/d desulfurization train will treat gasoline from the FCC, enabling the plant to meet fuel specifications that are set to tighten from 2016. Work also included a new high pressure distillate hydrotreater, a hydrogen manufacturing unit and sulfur recovery.
Last year Aramco lined up Korea’s Samsung Engineering for EPC work on a clean fuels upgrade of its 120,000 b/d Riyadh refinery, also with 2016 fuel regulations in mind. However, the contract has not yet been officially concluded. Aramco also plans a clean fuels upgrade at 550,000 b/d Ras Tanura refinery and has reportedly held talks with Japan’s JGC and Korea’s Daewoo E&C. (CONTINUED - 148 WORDS)
