Saudi oil company plans major petrochemical project

15 Feb, 2007 – Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco has announced that it will produce 1.5 million tonnes of polymer grade ethylene per year, primarily from pipeline ethane from a newly established project’s programme in Rabigh. With this project, Rabigh Refinery scheduled for start-up by the third quarter of 2008.
In a statement the company said that an 800-ton regenerator vessel has been lifted into its final position recently at the Rabigh High Olefin Fluidized Catalytic Cracker (HOFCC).
The regenerator, which is 18 meters wide and 40 meters tall, was put into place 19 January, using the Mammoet crane MSG80, one of the two largest cranes in the world. The sought-after, heavy-duty crane had to be reserved 18 months in advance. The MSG80 has a capacity of about 4,000 tons.
Source: SPA news agency