key milestones and achievements in the arabian gulf`s

KEY MILESTONES AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE
ARABIAN GULF’S PETROCHEMICAL LANDSCAPE
The Petrochemical Industry Journey in the Arabian Gulf
1960s -1980s
1980s - 2000s
1975
1963
Petrochemical
Industries Co. (PIC) is
established in Kuwait
Dr. Ghazi Al Gosaibi
Dr. Ghazi Al Gosaibi is
appointed as Minister of
Industry and Electricity
in Saudi Arabia and
given responsibility for
creating a
petrochemical industry
Sheikh Tahnon Bin
Mohammed Al-Nahyan,
ADNOC board chairman,
signs the joint-venture
agreement for FERTIL with Jor
Joueon of Total, 18 May
1980.
1964
Kuwait Chemical Fertilizer
Company (KCFC) is formed
as a joint venture of PIC,
Gulf Oil, and British
Petroleum
SABIC employees gain
on-the-job training.
Courtesy SABIC.
Saudi Aramco begins
work on a Master Gas
System that will capture
associated gases and
make them available for
industry and utilities
Kuwait Chemical Fertilizer
Company operation in the
1970s.
Courtesy EQUATE.
1965
1980
1991
1998
2004
2007
Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company (ADNOC)
establishes a joint venture
with Total to create a
fertilizer operation
(FERTIL) in Ruwais
SAFRA, a private joint venture
of Total and several Saudi
private firms, comes on line
producing formaldehyde
Borealis and ADNOC join in
creating a major
petrochemical operation in
Abu Dhabi, which would
come to be known as
Borouge
Yansab, an affliate of SABIC, is
established in Yanbu
Borouge begins
construction of
Borouge 2
QAPCO
ethylene/polyethylene
plant begins operation
SVCG and Chevron Chemical
Co. sign a letter of intent to build
a major aromatics facility in
Jubail
PIC and Union Carbide of the
United States sign a
memorandum of understanding
to form a major petrochemical
operation named EQUATE,
which would use Union
Carbide’s Unipol technology
Major petrochemical
sites and the Master
Gas System.
1969
The government of Qatar,
along with Norsk Hydro
and the Hambros Bank,
form the Qatar Fertilizer
Company (QAFCO)
Work commences on
building the industrial
city of Jubail in Saudi
Arabia
Abdulaziz Al-Zamil,
SABIC's first CEO, shows a
sample of polyethylene
resin produced by SABIC
Sabic affliate ALBAYRONI
comes on line
Courtesy SABIC.
1985
The Saudi International
Petrochemical Co.
(Sipchem), a private
joint-stock company, is
formed
2005
Construction begins of
NATPET, a private Saudi
petrochemical operation
QAFCO starts operation of
its N-fertilizer plant in Qatar
1978
More SABIC ventures come
on stream
Work commences on
building a second
industrial city in Yanbu
Saudi Arabia
SABIC and western
partners form the first of
many joint
petrochemical ventures
1974
The Government of Qatar
joins with CdF Chemie and
Gazocean of France to
create QAPCO
SABIC’s first home
in Riyadh.
Courtesy SABIC.
The young SABIC
executive team in the early
1990s. From left to right:
Moayyed Al-Qurtas, Saad
Bin Salamah, Mohamed
Al-Mady, Ibrahim Bin
Salamah, Ghazi Al-Hajjar,
Abdulrahman Al-Ankari,
Abdullah Al-Nojaidi, and
Nasser Al-Sayari.
Courtesy SABIC.
- KEMYA (JV with Exxon)
- YANPET (JV with
Mobil)
- PETROKEMYA
- SADAF (JV with Shell)
- SHARQ (JV with
Mitsubishi & Japanese
Consortium)
King Salman bin
Abdulazi, then governor
of Riyadh, cuts the
ribbon, officially opening
SABIC’s first R&D
Center (on right) in 1994.
2000
Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo
Chemical of Japan form a
joint venture – Rabigh Refining
and Petrochemical Company
(PetroRabigh)
Saudi Chevron aromatics plant
is commissioned – the first
wholly privately owned major
aromatic complex in Jubail
Boubyan Petrochemicals Co.,
Kuwait's first private chemical
company, is established
1988
Opening of SABIC's
Technical Services Lab
(TSL) that would develop
into SABIC's first R&D
center
1979
The governments of
Bahrain, Kuwait, and
Saudi Arabia form the
Gulf Petrochemical
Industries Company
(GPIC) in Bahrain
1989
The Saudi Formaldehyde
Company (today known as
Chemanol) is the first
private Saudi
petrochemical company
formed
Qatar Vinyl Co. (QVC) is
created as a joint venture of
QAPCO and Elf Atochem
Qatar Petroleum joins with
Chevron Chemical Co. to
establish the Qatar
Chemical Co. (Q-Chem)
The Qatar Chemical and
Petrochemical Marketing
and Distributing Company
(Muntajat) is formed to
handle all marketing of
Qatar’s chemical, polymer,
and fertilizer products
2001
First shipments of
polyethylene leaving
Borouge’s Abu Dhabi
plant to customers in the
Middle East and Asia.
The first phase of Borouge’s
olefins complex is completed
and production commences in
Ruwais based on Borealis’
unique Borstar® bimodal
technology
Establishment of the Gulf
Petrochemicals and
Chemicals Association
(GPCA)
Aromatic Oman, an affiliate
of Oman Oil, begins to build
its plant at Sohar
Advanced Petrochemicals is
founded as a Saudi private
joint-stock company
Oman Oil Co. forms Salalah
Methanol Co. and begins its
plant in Sohar
Gulf Farabi, a private Saudi
petrochemical company, is
formed
The foundation stone for
SABIC’s affiliate Saudi
Kayan petrochemical
complex, one of the largest
in the world, was laid in
Jubail
ORPIC’s Liwa Plastic
integrated complex is
announced, the first ethylene
cracker to be built in Oman
Riyadh governor, Prince
Khaled bin Bandar, in 2013
opens SABIC’s Plastics
Application Center
2014
SABIC becomes the largest
patent developer in the Middle
East by surpassing the 10,000
patent mark
2006
State Mines (DSM)
petrochemical operations in
the Netherlands.
Oman Propylene Company
(OPP) is formed
2010
Kuwait Aromatics
Company (KARO), the first
aromatics company in
Kuwait, is commissioned
2002
The Saudi Aramco/Total joint
venture SATORP comes on
stream in Jubail
SABIC inaugurates the
SABIC Plastics Application
Development Center in
Riyadh Techno Valley
Then Saudi Aramco
President and CEO
Abdullah Jum’ah and
Hiromasa Yonekura,
President of Sumitomo
Chemical sign the joint
venture agreement
establishing PetroRabigh.
SABIC purchases
Huntsman Corporation’s
petrochemical operations in
the United Kingdom
2013
Saudi Aramco's JV with
Sinopec and ExxonMobil in
Fuijan (China) comes on
line, producing a range of
refined petrochemical
products
Saudi Aramco and Total sign
a memorandum of
understanding for the
development of a refinery at
Jubail that would include an
aromatics complex. The joint
venture will become known as
Saudi Aramco’s Total Refining
and Petrochemical Company
(Satorp)
Saudi Phillips
petrochemical operation
in Jubail.
Courtesy Chevron Phillips
Chemicals Company LLC.
NAMA, a private Saudi company,
begins production of chlor-alkali
in Jubail
1997
Oman government forms the
Oman Oil Refineries and
Petroleum Industries Company
(Orpic), bringing Aromatics
Oman, Oman Oil Refineries and
Petrochemicals Company, and
OPP under one roof
Abu Dhabi’s International
Petroleum Investment
Company (IPIC) acquires
Nova Chemicals of Canada
NATPET production facility.
Courtesy NATPET.
1996
IPIC of Abu Dhabi acquires
CEPSA of Spain
2012
Sohar International Urea
and Chemical Industries
(SIUCI) in Oman, a wholly
privately owned company,
begins production
Opening of SABIC's first R&D
Center in Riyadh
GPIC’s production facility
by the sea.
Courtesy GPIC
Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin
Thunayan Al-Saud, Chairman of
SABIC (2nd from left); flanked by
Steve Pryor (left) and Al-Mady (3rd
from left), receives a memento
from project partners ExxonMobil
and SABIC at an event held to
celebrate and announce the
finalization of the project.
Photo SABIC
2009
GPIC commences
production
1973
SABIC signs a JV
agreement with Sinopec
to build a petrochemical
complex in Tianjin
SABIC and ExxonMobil
announce plans to create a
major elastomers operation in
Jubail
Abu Dhabi National
Chemicals Company
(ChemWEyaat) is formed
as a joint venture of
ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi
Investment Council, and
the International
Petroleum Company
1999
1995
The royal decree
creating SABIC.
Courtesy SABIC.
The sale of GE Plastics
to SABIC in 2007. From
left to right: Abdullah
Bazid, Mohamed Al Mady and Jeff Immelt
Qatar Fuel Additives
Company (QAFAC) is
formed
SABIC’s first
petrochemical joint
ventures – AR RAZI and
SAMAD – come on line
A Royal Decree creates
the Saudi Basic
Industries Corporation
(SABIC)
Oman Methanol Company
(OMC), a private sector
venture, is formed
SABIC Innovative
Plastics (IP) is
established
2011
2008
FERTIL begins operation
of its urea/ammonia
complex
SABIC makes a move
downstream when it
forms IBN HAYYAN with
Lucky Goldstar of Korea
to produce VCM and PVC
SABIC purchases
General Electric’s
plastics business
Dow Chemical and PIC form
MEGlobal, producing and
marketing ethylene glycol, with
plants in Canada
Oman India Fertilizer Co.
(OMIFCO) is formed
1983
1976
www.gpca.org.ae
1993
Dow Chemical withdraws
from its SABIC joint
venture, PETROKEMYA,
which goes on to great
success, demonstrating
SABIC's capacity to
succeed on its own
Sahara Petrochemicals, a
private Saudi joint stock
company, is formed
TASNEE (National
Industrialization
Corporation), a private
Saudi joint-stock company
announces its intent to
build the first Propylene/PP
complex based on Propane
Dehydro Technology (PDH)
in Jubail
1994
Petromin of Saudi Arabia
establishes the Saudi
Arabian Fertilizer Co.
(SAFCO)
QAPCO’s first plant under
construction in 1978.
Courtesy QAPCO.
QAFCO embarks on a major
expansion
1982
Royal Commision for
Jubail and Yanbu
(RCJY) established
2000s - to date
2011
Khalid Al-Falih (front left) and
Andrew Liveris of Dow
Chemical (front right) sign
the agreement forming
Sadara. Back row, from left
to right: Prince Faisal bin
Turki Al-Saud, Ali Bin
Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Ibrahim
Al-Assaf, and Prince Saud
Al-Thunayan.
Courtesy Saudi Aramco.
Saudi Aramco and Dow
Chemical approve the
formation of a joint venture
(Sadara Chemical
Company) to build and
operate a world-scale, fully
integrated chemicals
complex in Jubail.
Comprising 26
manufacturing units, it will
constitute one of the largest
integrated chemical facilities
in the world and the largest
ever built in one phase. The
complex will include a
downstream industrial park
2015
Saudi Aramco acquires 50%
stake in the synthetic rubber
business of LANXESS
GPCA celebrates the 10th
edition of its Annual Forum and
launches its new brand identity
The journey
continues...
The GPCA Fertilizer Convention is an annual event that brings
together key regional industry figures, fertilizer consumers and
government representatives to exchange information and to explore
and deliberate key issues regarding food security and long-term
strategies regarding fertilizer manufacturing and application. The first
GPCA Fertilizer Convention was held in 2010.
The GPCA Supply Chain Conference focuses on effective supply
chain management within the chemical companies across the
Arabian Gulf region.
GPCA Fertilizer Convention
GPCA Supply Chain Conference
It also provides a platform to facilitate discussion on key industry
trends and growth opportunities.
GPCA Responsible Care Conference
The GPCA Responsible Care Conference is a new concept which
focuses on the enhancement of Health, Safety and Environmental
performance within the industry. In addition, the conference leans in
the direction of steering organizations towards a safer and more
sustainable future.
www.gpcaresponsiblecare.com
GPCA launched the first edition of its Supply Chain Conference
in 2009.
www.gpcafertilizers.com
www.gpcasupplychain.com
The Gulf Sustainability & Quality Assessment System (SQAS)
evaluates the quality, safety, security and environmental performance
of Logistics Service Providers.
AN INITIATIVE BY
GPCA’s Waste Free Environment campaign aims to educate the public
about responsible disposal of waste in the Arabian Gulf region.
www.wastefreeenvironment.com
Annual GPCA Forum
The Annual GPCA Forum, GPCA’s flagship event, is the leading
networking event for the petrochemical and chemical industry in the
Arabian Gulf region. During the three day forum, international and
regional senior industry executives share their perspectives on
current industry issues.
Attendance of the Annual Forum has registered a phenomenal
growth of %20 per year, from 450 delegates attending the first
edition in 2006 to over 2,100 delegates attending the Forum in
2014. Over the past decade, it has become not only a key feature in
the global chemical industry agenda, but also a crucial knowledge
sharing and networking platform for the region’s and global industry
members and stakeholders.
GPCA Sustainability Conference
The bi-annual GPCA Sustainability Conference recognizes the important
role the chemical industry plays in ensuring a safe and sustainable future for
the world’s growing population. The Conference addresses initiatives that
support people, planet and prosperity with topics ranging from water
management and energy efficiency to renewable chemicals, plastics
recycling and responsible care. In 2016, GPCA will host its 3rd Sustainability
Conference.
www.gpcasustainability.com
www.gpcaforum.net
www.gulfsqas.com
GPCA HQ
P.O.Box: 1601 ,123055 and 1602, Level 16
Vision Tower, Business Bay, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel : 0666 451 4 971+
Fax : 0777 451 4 971+
www.gpca.org.ae
www.gpca.org.ae
Committed to providing a regional platform for stakeholders from
across the industry, the GPCA manages six working committees Plastics, Supply Chain, Fertilizers, International Trade, Research and
Innovation and Responsible Care - and organizes six world-class
events each year. The association also publishes an annual report,
regular newsletters and reports.
The association supports the region’s petrochemical and chemical
industry through advocacy, networking and thought leadership
initiatives that help member companies to connect, to share and
advance knowledge, to contribute to international dialogue, and to
become prime influencers in shaping the future of the global
petrochemicals industry.
www.gpcaplastics.com
GPCA Profile
PlastiCon
GPCA Research & Innovation Summit
The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) represents
the downstream hydrocarbon industry in the Arabian Gulf. Established
in 2006, the association voices the common interests of more than 240
member companies from the chemical and allied industries, accounting
for over %95 of chemical output in the Gulf region. The industry makes
up the second largest manufacturing sector in the region, producing up
to $US 108 billion worth of products a year.
PlastiCon is an annual GPCA event that caters to the plastics
segment of the petrochemical industry. The conference provides up
to date views and trends and developments in the regional and
global plastics industry including detailed information on specific
trending topics. GPCA PlastiCon also hosts the Plastics Excellence
Awards, recognizing innovation in plastics conversion and allied
industries in addition to supporting students with their acheivements.
The first edition of PlastiCon was held in 2010.
The GPCA Research & Innovation Summit serves as a platform to
discuss ways and means for creating a culture of innovation within
the regional chemical industry. The summit also engages
stakeholders in the debate to develop the innovation capabilities with
the region. The first edition of the R&I Summit was held in 2013.
www.gpcaresearch.com