Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) have awarded a contract for US-based KBR to implement and manage crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) complex and front-end engineering and design (FEED). 

KBR won this contract after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked between SABIC and Aramco in November 2017 to make headway towards the project’s second phase, according to Aramco’s statement on Thursday.

“The award of this second project management contract to KBR not only strengthens the project with additional world-class experience, but is yet another milestone in the Kingdom’s continuous drive to redirect and optimize its abundant natural resources and maximize its chemicals yield,” Aramco’s CEO Amin Nasser said.

The appointment of KBR is a key step that will contribute to developing the petrochemicals complex, supporting the kingdom’s vision in creating job opportunities, initiating new industrial technologies, and diversifying the products portfolio, SABIC’s CEO and vice-chairman Yousef Al-Benyan stated.

In January, SABIC’s chairman Abdulaziz Al Jarboo indicated that the joint venture (JV) with the world's largest oil producer will be valued at $20 billion.

KBR is a major international provider of project management, and engineering and professional services in the petrochemicals sector.