State oil giant Saudi Aramco is considering whether to close its 90,000 barrel per day crude oil refinery in Jeddah after several years because of age and environmental concerns, according to a report from Reuters.
The refinery as originally opened in 1967, and produces a number of products, including gas, gasoline and diesel.
Reuters said that Aramco was originally considering whether to close it in 2018 but now looks likely to postpone the closure to as late as 2022, according to an unnamed source, as a result of rising domestic demand and the delays to the Jizan refinery project.
Aramco has said it plans to bring the Jizan refinery online by 2018.
However, industry sources stated that there would be delays of at least two years for several reasons, including technical problems with building infrastructure in the sea.
A separate source told the news agency that said Jeddah’s growth had left the refinery in the middle of the city, which created environmental issues that contributed to a likely decision to close it.
