Testimonial
Total in Saudi Arabia
1974
Total first presence in Saudi Arabia
1978
First representation office in Dhahran
2003
Gas exploration in the "Empty Quarter"
2007
The Saudi Arabia Total Lubricants (SATLUB) joint venture (Total 51%) starts marketing Total brands
2010
Construction of the SATORP refining and petrochemical platform in Jubail
2013
First deliveries of the SATORP refinery
2019
Total and Saudi Aramco sign an agreement for the deliveries of petroleum products
Total is present in Saudi Arabia since 1974.
- 1974, Elf and Total sign a ten-year supply contract with Saudi Arabia, known as the Jobert contract.
- 1985, the «Jobert» contract between Elf and Total and Saudi Arabia ends, it only covered 3 MT/year.
- 1989, Total takes a 10% interest in the construction of a solvent plant in Yanbu.
- 2000, further to the invitation launched by the Kingdom to the international oil companies, the Group is selected to participate in three calls for tender concerning the development of the gas industry and the valuation of the gas produced in the petrochemistry, the electricity production and the desalination of sea water.
- 2001, the authorities of the Kingdom attribute the contract "Core Venture 3" to an international consortium consisting of TotalFinaElf 30 %, Shell 40 % and Conoco 30 %. This project plans the valuation of the reserves of gas in the region of Shaybah. The consortium is loaded on activities of exploration on 2 zones of 140 000 and 50 000 km² in the region of Rub' al Khali, on the feasibility study of the development of the acid natural gas field of Kidan, on the installation of a unit of treatment and on the transport of the gas extracted from the field of Shaybah.The project also contains the construction of a petrochemical complex, a power plant and a desalination plant to Jubail.
- 2003, November 15th, TOTAL signs an agreement with the government of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to create a joint-venture with the national oil company Saudi Aramco to realize some exploration in a gas zone of 200 000 km² in the South of Rub Al-Khali. TOTAL has a 30 % interest in this association. A blending plant is also created.
- 2004, a first period of works of five years begins in January on Rub' al Khali's site. A campaign of 137 800 km² gravimetry is realized as well as a seismic survey on the same site.
- 2006, TOTAL and Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) signs a draft agreement which concerns a project of construction and exploitation of a refinery of 400 kb/d to Jubail, in Saudi Arabia. The refinery must be endowed with a deep conversion and its production must be intended for the main part at the export. It has to handle with some oil " Arabian Heavy " and produce refined products of high quality adapted to all the markets. It is planned that this refinery, for which a joint study of engineering (FEED (3)) is launched in July, is detained at the level of 35 % by respectively TOTAL and Saudi Aramco. The remaining 30 % should be listed on the Stock Exchange on the Saudi market at the end by the execution of the FEED, planned at the beginning of 2008, after approval of competent authorities.
- 2008, following disappointing exploration results, TOTAL decided to withdraw from the joint venture in which the Group participated with Saudi Aramco. TOTAL and Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) create in September a joint venture, Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company (SATORP) for the construction of a 62 kb/d refinery in Jubail, 5% by Saudi Aramco and 37.5% by TOTAL. Eventually, the parties plan to keep a 37.5% stake each and to introduce the remaining 25% on the Saudi market at the end of 2011, subject to the approval of the competent authorities. The main construction contracts for the refinery were signed in July 2009, marking the start of construction.
- 2013, first commercial shipments of SATORP’s integrated platform, following the successful start-up of its first units.
- 2014, Total begins the commercialization of petcoke produced by the Jubail refinery.
- 2018, in October, Total and Saudi Aramco sign a joint engineering development agreement for the construction of a refinery-backed petrochemical complex. This giant project will include a mixed-load steam cracker (50% ethane and refinery gas) with a capacity of 1.5 Mt/year and polyethylene units.
- 2019, in February, Saudi Aramco and Total sign a joint venture agreement to expand the distribution and sale of petroleum products and associated services. The two partners also sign an agreement to acquire two companies including a network of 270 gas stations and a fleet of oil transport vehicles.