Safra Is Studying Bids For 2nd Aromatics Plant.

Safra Co. is evaluating bids for the main process contract on its $400m second-phase aromatics plant in Yanbu'. A contract award is due in early January, with three international contractors bidding for the EPC contract.

The job covers two naphtha processing streams with a total capacity of 1.5m t/y. The first stream will produce 500,000 t/y of benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX), with GTC Technology of Houston being the technology licence holder for this. The second will produce propane, butane, motor gasoline and blend stocks.

Naphtha feedstock for the plant will be supplied by Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco will offtake the natural gas liquids, gasoline and blend stocks and market the products on Safra's behalf. The BTX will be sold locally.

Local contractors are preparing to submit bids on 20 December for two contracts to build the associated infrastructure, covering import and export pipelines and tank farms. Front-end engineering and design work on the phase 2 expansion has been carried out by the US' ENGlobal Corporation, Germany's Lurgi and GTC. The US' Foster Wheeler is the project management consultant. Safra is also planning a third phase forward integration project to utilise the BTX produced in the second phase. An in-house feasibility study is under way to look at the potential product mix.