Saudi-based PetroRabigh has said it would conduct scheduled maintenance work at its refining and petrochemicals complex in April.

PetroRabigh is a joint venture between Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical and State oil giant Saudi Aramco.

Trade sources said the 400,000 barrels per day refinery in Rabigh would be shut for maintenance from late April to the end of May, according to a report in our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News.

“The company is building up its stocks of refined products and petrochemicals to
meet customers’ needs during the maintenance period,” PetroRabigh said. It did not say when the complex would be back in operation.

Sources said as a result of the shutdown at Rabigh refinery and another refinery in
Jubail – a joint venture between Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell – Aramco would reduce naphtha supplies by at least 580,000 tonnes in the first half of 2011.

PetroRabigh can produce an annual 18 million tonnes of refined products.