Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company

SAMREF is an equally owned joint venture between Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation). Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) is one of the world's largest oil producing and exporting company and was established by Royal Decree in 1988 to assume the responsibilities of its predecessor, Aramco that has a history dating back more than 70 years. Exxon Mobil Corporation is a global energy company with a history dating back more than 132 years and which conducts business in 140 countries on every continent throughout the world. SAMREF is a complex refinery which was formed in 1981 for the development, construction, ownership and operation of crude oil refining facilities in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Following the construction and start-up of the facilities, it commenced operations on November 15, 1984. The design capacity was 263, 000 barrels per day of Arab Light Crude, but through a continuous improvement of its facilities, it now processes about 402, 000 barrels per day. In 1395 (H) and within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Second Five Year Plan, the General Petroleum and Mineral Organization (Petromin) discussed with Mobil Oil Corporation the possibility of constructing a refinery on the West coast of Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this refinery is to export finished products to Europe, North America and the Far East within the framework of a broad-based strategy for an integrated petroleum industry. After thorough studies, the city of Yanbu was chosen as the best location for the new refinery. Thus, approval was given to form a joint venture under the name of Petromin Mobil Yanbu Refinery Company Ltd. (PEMREF) as a state of the art refinery. The refinery construction was completed in 1984 and operations began smoothly.