YANSAB signs LOI for the engg & construction of Butene and Aromatics units

21-Apr-06

SABIC affiliate Yanbu National Petrochemical Company (YANSAB) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Shaw Stone & Webster Inc. for the design, supply and construction of a Butene Plant with a designed annual capacity of 135K metric tons of Butene and 250K (mtpa) of benzene, toluene and xylene mixtures at YANSAB complex, in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. SABIC owns 55% of YANSAB shares. SABIC partners in its IBN RUSHD affiliate own a further 10% with the remaining 35% being owned by Saudi citizens. The LOI completes the contractual process for all of YANSAB's plants which are expected to go on-stream by 2008, with an annual capacity exceeding 4 million mtpa. This includes 1.3 million mtpa of Ethylene; 400,000 mtpa of Propylene; 900,000 mtpa of polyethylene, 770,000 mtpa of Ethylene Glycol; 500,000 mtpa and 400,000 (mtpa) of Polypropylene alongside Butane, Benzene, Xylene and Toluene mixtures. The complex will utilize SABIC and Sud Chemie 50:50 owned Scientific Design Ethylene Glycol (EG) technology as well as Butene-1 cutting-edge technology developed by SABIC in cooperation with the French Petrol Institute. This is in addition to totally new hi-tech facilities for the production of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).