Ras Tanura Is To Have Condensate Unit.

Saudi Aramco is to have a 200,000 b/d condensate fractionater at its Ras Tanura refinery, with the gas to come from a Khuff reservoir. To be completed before end-2003, this is a turnkey project which will produce naphtha and distillates for both processing in the refinery and export.

The fractionator will have a naphtha stabilisation plant with a capacity of 100,000 b/d and a 150,000 b/d distillate blending unit. With seven international contractors shortlisted to bid for the project by March 3 and a contract to be awarded before mid-2001, construction should begin in the second half of the year. The front-end engineering and designs have been done by ABB Lummus Global of the US.

The contract would be worth about $170-180m. The shortlisted companies are Foster Wheeler of the US, Japan's Toyo Engineering and JGC Corp., Technip of France, Lurgi of Germany, Snamprogetti of Italy and SNC Lavalin of Canada.