ExxonMobil, SABIC award contracts for elastomers project at Saudi petchem JV
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) and affiliates of ExxonMobil Chemical said that front-end engineering design (FEED) contracts were awarded and that all components are in FEED phase for the proposed new elastomers project at their Al-Jubail Petrochemical Co. (KEMYA) joint venture petrochemical plant.
FEED contracts were awarded to Jacobs and Mitsui for process units and to Fluor for associated support facilities, the joint venture said.
"This elastomers project will be the basis for the creation of a world-class rubber value chain in Saudi Arabia and a valuable extension of our offering of products and services to our customers in key markets," said Koos van Haasteren, SABIC executive vice president for performance chemicals.
“In addition to supporting local industry, the expansion at the KEMYA joint venture in Al-Jubail would provide additional new capacity of butyl rubber and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) specialty elastomers to meet the growing global demand for these products,” said Neil Chapman, senior vice president of polymers for ExxonMobil Chemical.
The project is expected to produce more than 400,000 tonnes/year of rubber [butyl, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), butadiene rubber (BR) and EPDM], thermoplastic specialty polymers and carbon black to serve emerging local and international markets in Asia and the Middle East.
Third-party license agreements have been signed with Continental Carbon Co. for its carbon black production technology and with Goodyear Tire & Rubber for its SBR and polybutadiene rubber technology.
The final decision to implement the elastomers project requires the approval of KEMYA’s board of directors.
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