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SADAF - Saudi Arabia Petrochemical Company
Owned jointly by Shell Chemicals Arabia LLC and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Sadaf was established in 1980 and began operating in 1984. The company operates from one of the world's largest and most competitive petrochemical complexes in the Al Jubail industrial zone on Saudi Arabia's eastern coast. Sadaf's six world-scale manufacturing plants produce over 4.7 million tonnes of building-block petrochemicals a year, primarily sold to customers in Asia Pacific.
SADAF
Products
- Ethylene (1,050,000 tonnes)
- Ethylene dichloride (EDC) (840,000 tonnes)
- Caustic soda (CA) (670,000 tonnes)
- Styrene monomer (SM) (1,070,000 tonnes)
- Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE)1 (700,000 tonnes)
1 Sold by Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC)
Applications
These products are used in the manufacture of:
- Vinyl chloride monomer and polyvinyl chloride (produced using EDC)
- Alumina (produced using CA)
- Polystyrene and ABS (produced using SM)
- Gasoline additives (produced using MTBE) as an alternative to lead
Sustainable development
In addition to financial investment, Shell's contribution has been to provide technology along with technical, managerial and marketing know-how. SABIC has provided financial investment, competitive feedstock and local expertise. Together, Shell and SABIC have also recruited and developed a skilled workforce, the great majority of whom are Saudi nationals.
Exceeding original design capacities for almost all products, Sadaf has undertaken extensive certification and benchmarking procedures, and is an ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 compliant company. Since 2005, a new 250-megawatt co-generation plant (providing combined heat and power) operated by the Jubail Energy Company has transformed energy efficiency at the complex, providing around 80% of the complex's electricity requirements. In 2007, Sadaf completed a US $50 million programme to remove ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from its refrigeration systems.
Al-Jubail: A Favourite Port of Call
When SADAF launched its international chemical business, it was fortunate to be associated with a world-class port constructed for the industrial complex at Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia. In addition to the physical requirements, they realized the need for competitive pricing of port services. The present tariff provides for servicing a vessel at a very competitive cost compared to other major ports throughout the world.
The port facilities were designed and constructed for the convenience of loading liquid chemicals from numerous companies at the central cluster of berths. This saves the vessel time by eliminating the need to shift great distances to unique berths for each venture company. The two berths used to load SADAF products were designed with maximum flexibility so all products can be loaded at either berth. All this is further enhanced by shore tank pumps sized to load large volumes at fast rates.
The combination of low-cost, rapid loading and strategic location make the port at Al-Jubail one of the best in the world.
Port Facilities
Operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year | |
| Minimum vessel size | 10,000 DWT |
| Maximum vessel size | 60,000 DWT |
| Center Line Spacing | 330 meters |
| Loading rate | 1,400 m³/hour max |
Water Depth at berth | |
| Mean Sea Level | 17.38 meters |
| Low Astronomical Tide | 16.34 meters |
The loading arms are fitted with 12-inch hydraulic couplers, suited for connecting to 10-,12- or 14-inch ASA 150 WNRF flanges.
Annual Production Capacity | |
Product | Metric tonnes |
|---|---|
| Ethylene | 1,050,000 |
| Styrene monomer | 1,070,000 |
| Ethylene Dichloride | 840,000 |
| Caustic Soda | 670,000 |
| MTBE | 700,000 |
For more information, please contact:
Shell Chemicals (Middle East)
PO Box 307
Dubai
UAE
Tel: +971 4 303 5289
Fax: +971 4 321 597
E-mail: Thierry Capelle