Total, Saudi Aramco discussing JV refinery expansion

Total is in talks with Saudi Aramco to expand their Saudi joint venture refinery by more than 10 per cent, the chief executive of the French energy company said on Wednesday.

Capacity at their Saudi Arabia Total Refining and Petrochemical (SATORP) complex in Jubail can be raised to 440,000 barrels per day through greater efficiency, Patrick Pouyanne said.

“We are working with Saudi Aramco, discussing gas allocation,” Pouyanne told reporters at the Oil & Money conference.

“To go up to 440,000 bpd can be quick,” he said.

The SATOROP refinery on Saudi Arabia’s east coast was launched in 2014 and is considered one of the world’s most advanced plants producing fuels and plastics.