Sultan Al-Sughair Saudi Gazette JUBAIL — Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemicals (SATORP) is half way through commissioning its refinery in Jubail, and expects it to be fully operational by the end of the year. The SR36bn facility, which is a joint venture between state-owned Saudi Aramco and France's Total, will have the capacity to convert 400,000 barrels a day of crude to refined products. The President and CEO Fawaz Nawwab said, “The commissioning is half-way through and crude oil is expected to enter the refinery in the coming weeks, first to test the unit and then to properly start operations to put the refinery on stream. “SATORP is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2013 and hit full refining capacity during the fourth quarter of the year,” Nawwab said during Jubail RC officials recent visit to SATORP's construction site in Jubail. Nawwab said, “The refinery will process heavy and sour crude that is sold on the market at a discount as it is more difficult to treat. It is a high-conversion refinery, meaning we will not produce fuel oil which has less value.” “The facility, which also includes petrochemicals units, will directly employ 1,200 people, with Saudi nationals making up 60 percent of the workforce” he added.
