Saudi Aramco’s Jazan project to start pilot ops by mid-2018

Saudi Aramco’s Jazan project is expected to start pilot operations by mid-2018, the company said in a statement.

Last year, the world's largest crude exporter said the Jazan project, which has a production capacity of 400,000 barrels a day, was 55 percent completed.

Aramco reportedly signed an agreement with a foreign investor to build a Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) project in Jazan Economic City (JEC).

According to data compiled by Argaam, a royal decree was issued in 2013 to the state-owned oil producer to develop the first phase of Jazan Economic City, which includes the Jazan refinery and terminal, the commercial seaport, the industrial zone, and a residential area.

JEC, which is located 60 kilometers northwest of Jazan City, is the fourth industrial city to be managed by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY).