Joint Ventures
Saudi Aramco has established strategic partnerships with international refining and marketing enterprises.
Assets: Motiva Enterprises - Aramco holds 32.5 per cent in firm with four plants (820,000 bpd total capacity); S-Oil - Aramco owns 35 per cent stake of 525,000 bpd Korean refiner; Petron Corporation (Philippines) - Aramco holds 40 per cent share; Motor Oil (Hellas) and Avinoil-Greece, 50:50-owned by Saudi Aramco and Vardinoyannis Industrial Group; Arabian Petroleum Pipeline Company (SUMED) - Aramco holds 15 per cent share in Egypt-based firm.
Saudi Aramco’s refineries have been upgraded to produce higher value products and unleaded gasoline.
Refining
Assets: Five domestic refineries at Ras Tanura, Riyadh, Jeddah, Yanbu and Rabigh with combined capacity of 1.1 million bpd.
Two domestic joint ventures in Jubail (Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Company Ltd (Sasref) and Yanbu (Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company (Samref), 50:50 ventures with Royal Dutch/Shell and ExxonMobil respectively)
In addition, Saudi Aramco Lubricating Oil Refining Company (Luberef), a venture with ExxonMobil
Pipelines
The company’s extensive pipeline network of more than 20,000km carries crude from wellhead to refinery.
Major routes: East-West pipeline (also called Petroline) - runs 1,200km from Eastern Province to Yanbu with a five million bpd capacity.
East-West natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline being developed to carry crude across 1,170km from Shedgum (Eastern Province) to Yanbu
Natural Gas
Gas development is gathering pace in Saudi Arabia in a bid to meet increasing domestic demand, as well as forging new international links to utilise the massive reserves.
Reserves: 213.3 trillion cu ft (of which 77.4 trillion cu ft is non-associated)
Key fields: Safaniya (5.36 trillion cu ft), Shaybah (25 trillion cu m)
Distribution system: Master Gas System (MGS)
MGS processing capacity: 5.9 billion cubic feet per day
Processing plants: Shedgum (2.4 billion cu ft per day); Uthmaniyah (2.5 billion cu ft); Berri (one billion cu ft); Hawiyah (1.4 billion cubic feet when comes onstream later this year); Haradh (onstream in 2003, 1.6 billion cubic feet)
Subsidiaries
Saudi Aramco’s global network of subsidiaries covers marketing, distribution and logistical services.
Companies: Aramco Services Company, Aramco Associated Company, Aramco Overseas Company, Aramco Training Services Company, Saudi Refining Inc, Saudi Petroleum Ltd, Saudi Petroleum International Inc, Saudi Petroleum Overseas Ltd, Vela International Marine Ltd, Aramco Gulf Operations Company Ltd.
Crude Oil
Successful exploration and enhanced oil recovery is ensuring increased crude reserves every year.
Oil first discovered: 1938
Proven reserves: 259.2 billion barrels
Sustained production capacity: 10 million barrels per day (bpd)
Key fields: Ghawar (67 billion barrels); Safaniya (37 billion barrels); Hawtah (produces 200,000 bpd of Arabian Super Light); Shaybah (reserves of 15 bn barrels and produces 500,000 bpd)
Crude oil grades: Arabian Heavy, Arabian Medium, Arabian Light, Arabian Extra Light, Arabian Super Light.
