Petro Rabigh set to start phase 2 in August

Rabigh, Saudi Arabia – Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. (Petro Rabigh) has launched creditors reliability test (CRT) for Petro Rabigh phase II, which is set to fully start operations 1 August.

CRT is conducted to demonstrate the ability of the phase II project to operate continuously at a production level of not less than 80%, for around 90 days, said Petro Rabigh in a 25 July statement.

The €8.1-million project involves an ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) unit, for which Petro Rabigh said it achieved “on-spec” production last March.

The unit was one of the two final facilities to start production at the site.

The Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical 75,000-tonne rubber JV announced the start-up of 10 other units earlier in 2017.

“Upon completion of all Phase II plants, both phases I and II will be integrated operationally within the Petro Rabigh industrial complex,” the company said 7 Jan.

By the end of December 2017, the company had achieved on-spec production at the units for cumene, phenol, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)/isobutylene, metathesis, methyl methacrylate (MMA), naphtha reformer, poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), low density polyethylene/ (LDPE), thermoplastic olefin (TPO) and nylon 6 (polyamide 6).