Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy announced on 16 January that Petro Rabigh and Honeywell UOP have signed an MoU examining enhanced crude oil to chemicals conversion. The MoU includes licensing and the demonstration of Honeywell UOP’s naphtha-to-ethane and naphtha-to-propane technology, which the US firm says “efficiently converts light naphtha and butanes into ethane and propane, providing a flexible, cost-effective, and sustainable solution for ethylene and propylene production,” while reducing CO2 emissions.
Petro Rabigh operates a 400,000 b/d refinery integrated with petrochemicals facilities with capacity to produce up to 2.8mn t/y of polyethylene, mono ethylene glycol, polypropylene and propylene oxide & other petrochemical derivatives. Currently Aramco and Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical each own 37.5%, with 25% listed on the Tadawul, but the Saudi firm is buying 22.5% from its partner to try and support the loss-making entity (MEES, 9 August 2024). (CONTINUED - 173 WORDS)