US-based KBR has been awarded a contract to develop part of a crude-oil-to-chemicals (COTC) complex, which is being developed jointly by Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic).

KBR will provide the front-end engineering and design for the downstream petrochemicals and chemicals component within the COTC master complex. The scope includes engineering studies, infrastructure planning and development for both of the polymer and glycol units, along with the aromatics complex, the COTC master plot plan, and offsite utilities.

The KBR project management contract is the second that Saudi Aramco and Sabic have awarded for the COTC project. Wood, also a leading project management and engineering firm, was granted the first contract to provide engineering and design for the refining components, mixed feed steam cracker, on-site utilities, interface and site integration, and selection of technology providers.

Saudi Aramco’s US affiliate company Aramco Services Company (ASC) is managing the KBR contract on behalf of Saudi Aramco. With start-up in 2025, the COTC complex is on track to become the largest of its kind in the world and is expected to process 400,000 barrels per day of Arabian Light crude oil, which will produce approximately nine million tonnes of chemicals and nine million tonnes of fuels per year.