Yanbu's largest petrochemical producer is Yanpet, which recently completed a major expansion project which has transformed it into one of the world's largest petrochemical complexes.

The company, a 50:50 joint venture between Sabic and ExxonMobil, added a 535,000 tpy polyethylene plant, a 410,000 tpy ethylene glycol plant and a second 800,000 tpy steam cracker. The first polypropylene unit at Yanpet now produces 260,000 tpy.

The expansion, which cost an estimated $2.6 billion, started in 1997 and its completion raises Yanpet's overall production capacity to 1.6 million tpy of ethylene, 1.145 million tpy of polyethylene and 770,000 tpy of ethylene glycol.

There are reports from industry sources that Yanpet is looking to further expand its ethylene capacity by 500,000 tpy by 2003/2004.

Polypropylene is also a major feedstock product for Yanpet, and company officials do not rule out further expansion of capacity at a future date.

All of the affiliate's ethylene is used captively, taking into account the requirements of the new ethylene glycol and polyethylene plants, according to a Yanpet official.

The new 535,000 tpy polyethylene facility has been described as ''two very large reactors, world class in size and diameter and production rate.''

With this plant, Yanpet has five polyethylene lines and one polypropylene line, a very large polymer manufacturing facility on one location and enabling the company to take advantage of economies of scale.

Yanpet was established in 1980 and came onstream in 1985, producing ethylene, polyethylene and EG. Yanpet was the first Sabic company to be established in Yanbu Industrial City.

Ethane is the main feedstock for Yanpet, and comes from an NGL fractionation plant.

With units running at full capacity and product quality of the highest standards, Yanpet's products are in demand in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Yanbu is also on the key shipping routes to the East or West, giving it a strategic intermediate location to serve any market.