Sumitomo to pre-market PetroRabigh’s PE, PP

10 October 2007 10:20  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Sumitomo Chemical, the Japanese major, will begin pre-marketing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) for its Saudi Arabian refinery and petrochemical joint venture project by the end of October, a source close to the project said on Wednesday.

 

“The volumes being pre-marketed will be small, and will be taken from Sumitomo’s sister plants in Asia,” the source said.

 

China, southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent would be the major markets being targeted in Asia, the source added.

 

However, the sale of product within the Middle East will be undertaken by Saudi Aramco, the source said.

 

The project is on track to start up in the fourth-quarter of 2008, the source said.

 

Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co (PetroRabigh) is a 50:50 joint venture between state-owned Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical.

 

The project at Rabigh will have an 18.4m tonne/year refinery and a cracker that will produce 1.3m tonne/year of ethylene and 900,000 tonne/year of propylene.

 

PetroRabigh’s downstream capacities will include 700,000 tonnes/year of PP, 350,000tonnes/year of linear low density PE (LLDPE), 300,000tonnes/year of high density PE (HDPE), and 250,000 tonnes/year of Easy Processing polyethylene (EPPE). 

 

The complex will also produce propylene oxide (PO), monoethylene glycol (MEG) and alpha-olefins.

ICIS Copyright © Reed Business Information 2009

Author: Prema Viswanathan
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