Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Complex

Client: Saudi Kayan

Location: Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Map showing the location of Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Complex

Executive Summary

At a petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia, Fluor was responsible for engineering, procurement and construction management of the utilities and offsites (U&O) scope, which comprised approximately 30% of the total project.

The U&O contract had 50 contractors with a multicultural, multinational workforce of over 11,000 personnel.

The Saudi Kayan project received Fluor's Hugh Coble Project Excellence Award, one of three recipients. The award is based on outstanding performance in several areas, including safety, value creation and client and community relations.

Client's Challenge

The project was a joint venture between Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and Al-Kayan. Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company constructed one of the largest petrochemical projects in the world, which required 140 million work hours with a peak workforce of 40,000.

Located in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Kayan was part of a series of large petrochemical projects being built by SABIC, a global leader in the petrochemical industry.

Fluor's Solution

We provided engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for the U&O scope of the project, approximately 30% of the total project. The engineering on the project was executed by multiple Fluor offices in the U.S., UK, Philippines and Saudi Arabia. Procurement was done on a global basis.

We were responsible for providing utilities such as power, fuel gas, cooling water, instrument air, boilers and flares along with port facilities and third parties such as Aramco. We were also responsible for the site infrastructure and buildings in the administration area.

Fluor managed the activities of 50 contractors with over 11,000 multicultural and multinational workers, from countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Fluor's staff was also multinational, with representatives from 12 countries.

As with all projects, we developed and implemented its health, safety and environment (HSE) culture, goals and expectations for the Saudi Kayan project. As a result of everyone's commitment to safe work performance, in May 2009, the Fluor site team and the U&O contractors achieved 23 million safe work hours without a lost time incident. The Saudi Kayan Project achieved more than 50 million safe work hours.

Conclusion

The Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Complex comprises a 2 million-tons-per-year ethane/butane cracker, including benzene extraction facilities; a 700,000-tons-per-year polyethylene plant; a polypropylene plant with capacity of at least 350,000 tons per year; and a 530,000-tons-per-year ethylene glycol unit.

An integrated phenolics plant, including cumene, phenol and bisphenol A units, produces feedstock for a 260,000-tons-per-year, high-value polycarbonates plant. Additional amine derivative facilities were installed for the production of methylamines, ethanolamines, ethoxylates and choline chloride.