Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Aramco has shut down its 90,000 barrel per day (bpd) crude oil refinery in Jeddah indefinitely, sources said on Sunday.

Aramco had been considering whether to close the refinery for years because of age and environmental concerns, according to Reuters.

 “The shutdown is not expected to cause a shortage of oil products in Saudi Arabia as Aramco will meet demand from other refineries”, industry sources said.

The refinery started operating in 1967 and used to serve most of the kingdom’s western region and its closure will increase demand at other Saudi facilities, according to the news agency.

The Jeddah refinery produced liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, diesel, asphalt and jet fuel, and exported naphtha.

Aramco is expected to complete the first the first major unit of its new 400,000 bpd refinery on the west coast in Jizan province by the end of 2017, the news agency noted.

The Jeddah refinery is located next to a base oil refinery run by Luberef, which is a joint venture between Aramco and Jadwa Industrial Investment Group.