Technip steps up security in Saudi Arabia but staff remain

02 June 2004 15:49  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--French engineering group Technip said there are currently no plans to evacuate its staff in Saudi Arabia following the weekend attack by Islamic militants on oil company employees at Khobar near Al Jubail on the kingdom's east coast.

A spokeswoman told CNI her firm has stepped up security measures in its Saudi operations, where some 200 people are working.

Staff are also encouraged to take their traditional summer holidays in advance, which normally means being out of Saudi Arabia, she said.

Technip recently won an Al Jubail cracker upgrade contract from Saudi Petrochemical Co (Sadaf), a joint venture of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (Sabic) and Shell as well as a lump sum turnkey order for the addition of diesel hydrotreating facilities at Saudi Arabian Oil Co’s (Saudi Aramco) Riyadh refinery.

Yesterday, Anglo-Norwegian engineering group Aker Kvaerner said there may be a delay to completion of the 75 000 tonne/year butanediol (BDO) plant it is constructing at Al Jubail if it evacuates key staff. Kvaerner has already told the families of western staff to leave but senior management remain while a strategic review is carried out.

Another contractor, US-headquartered Foster Wheeler, declined to comment on its safety measures when contacted by CNI.

The weekend attack at an oil company's premises and residential areas on Saturday left 22 people dead.

By: Russell Ong
+44 208 652 3214

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