DHAHRAN, Asharq Al-Awsat- A mere two months after signing a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the Jubail Export Refinery, Saudi Aramco and Total already have come together to sign the contract and get the ball rolling.
“I would like to extend my thanks to Contracting and Finance, which have done a marvelous job,” said project director Salman M. Aradi at the contract signing. “In less than two months, we had a contract to sign. That’s a record for our company and for Total.”
Slated for startup in 2011, the project encompasses the development of a 400,000 barrel-per-day, full-conversion refinery in Jubail. The proposed refinery will be designed to process Arabian heavy crude and will produce high-quality refined products that meet current and future product specifications.
“I want to thank Total, New Business Development (NBD), Contracting, Finance and all the departments involved that have been working together to complete this contract,” said Isam A. Al-Bayat, vice president of NBD. “We are all looking forward to the day when this project is ready for startup.”
The scope of the contract is to conduct front-end engineering and environmental assessment; prepare financing and marketing studies, capital operating cost estimates and bid packages; and provide procurement support.
“Our project team is mobilized, eager and ready to work on this project,” said Rami Khourzom, project director from Total. “This is quite a challenging job for Total, and we all expect quality work from everyone involved.”
Technip Italy also attended the ceremony, as they will provide support during detailed design and construction, assisting with cost estimate development as well as the development of the lump-sum turnkey packages.
“This project has significant importance to us because it involves two of our most prestigious clients, Saudi Aramco and Total,” said Riccardo Moizo of Technip. “This contract is a first-priority project for us, and we look forward to working with you all on this project.”
Total and Saudi Aramco are also working together in the SRAK Joint Venture, exploring for natural gas in the Empty Quarter.