Saudi’s SABIC Says Won’t Expand Petrochemicals Venture With Shell

Saudi Basic Industries Corp will not move ahead with plans to expand an existing petrochemical joint venture with Royal Dutch Shell in Saudi Arabia as the results of feasibility studies were not encouraging, SABIC said on Thursday, according to state news agency SPA.

The two partners in the SADAF joint venture in Jubail, on the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, first announced plans to explore an expansion of their petrochemical plant in 2012.

“Shell and SABIC have agreed not to pursue this investment further but have agreed to continue to have constructive discussions to explore other opportunities for expansion,” a Shell spokesman said in a statement on Thursday.

SABIC, one of the world’s largest petrochemical groups, said the decision would not have any impact on its earnings, according to a statement on the Saudi bourse website.

The expansion was due to add polyols, propylene oxide (PO) and styrene monomer. SABIC did not say by how much the plant was due to be expanded nor gave an estimated cost.