Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery (Sasref) has inaugurated its ultra-low sulfur diesel unit at the refinery in Jubail. The new line has started commercial production of about 100,000 barrels per day of low-sulfur diesel fuel with less than 10 parts per million sulfur content. “The start of the ultra-low sulfur diesel unitreinforces our strategy to keep pace with future trends and comply with environmental and marketing requirements, which will help Sasref to maintain its competitiveness as one of the leading refineries in the Middle East and Asia,” said Sasref president Abdulhakim A. Al-Gouhi. He also said the new unit reduces sulfur emissions for a cleaner environment and also meets the high-standard diesel specifications of Europe. The 28-month project included the revamp of two crude units and an existing diesel hydrodesulfuriser unit as well as the construction of a new, high-pressure diesel hydrodesulfuriser. Inline blending and amine treatment facilities also were included in the work, which required 336 tie-ins including 18 hot taps. Sasref is a joint venture export refinery owned 50-50 by Saudi Aramco and Shell. It operates a 305,000-bpd refinery in the industrial city of Jubail. Its main products are chemical feed naphtha, dual-purpose kerosene, ultra-low sulfur diesel, fuel oil and LPG, with the main export destination being Asia.
