Metso wins a significant contract to supply valve solutions to Saudi Aramco's petroleum refining and petrochemical production complex

Metso has received a large order to be delivered to Saudi Aramco's petroleum refining and petrochemical production complex currently under construction. The order includes a considerable number and wide range of Metso's Neles® rotary and globe valves and Jamesbury® valves, including control, on-off and safety valves. It also includes Metso's intelligent safety solenoid technology and valve controllers, which guarantee maximum process availability and safety while reducing overall operating costs.

The valve solutions will be delivered to the petroleum refining and petrochemical production complex of Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, that will be substantially expanded. The expansion of the current facilities is part of Saudi Aramco's plan to diversify its business from crude oil into chemicals, unconventional gas and renewables.

South Korean GS Engineering & Construction is the main contractor for the project. Instrument lead Engineer Jang In-Cheol says this is one of the company's biggest projects and goes on:''So we need trusted partners to work with us. We have completed several successful projects globally with Metso. They understood what we needed in this project and could provide, for example, with the engineering support and services we needed. We know from experience that Metso can provide reliable and high quality products that contribute to our goals in efficiency and environmental aspects."

"The order is one of Metso's biggest orders to the Saudi Aramco projects. We believe that this helps us in further building our relationship with Saudi Aramco," remarks Sales Manager John Lee, Automation, Metso.

Metso received this order during 2013 and the deliveries will take place during 2014.

Experienced in valves

Metso has a long track record of delivering engineered performance and reliability to the oil & gas industry through its leading product brands - Neles®, Jamesbury® and Mapag® - and has delivered millions of valves, control valves, and on-off valves globally more than 90 years, and has become one of the leading suppliers of intelligent valve controllers. Metso's valve technology and services offering helps maximize production efficiency and reduce safety risks throughout the life cycle of a plant, all the way from simplifying valve selection to improving process availability and maximizing production performance.

About Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company

Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh), jointly founded by Japan's Sumitomo Chemical Company (Sumitomo Chemical) and Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), is operating the Rabigh I Project, an integrated refinery & petrochemicals complex, in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.

The current expansion of the facilities, Rabigh-II, comprises the expansion of the existing ethane cracker and the construction of four new petrochemical plants, an aromatic complex and an ethylene cracker debottlenecking plant. Operations will start in the first half of 2016.

When completed, Rabigh-II will use an additional 30 million standard cubic feet of ethane per day and approximately 3 million tons of naphtha per year as feedstock to produce a variety of high value-added petrochemical products.

Metso has a strong local presence in the Middle East

To fulfill our objective of being closer to our customers, Metso offers a comprehensive range of local capabilities in application engineering, project management, smart technology, and after-market and plant performance services. This has enabled Metso to steadily grow its presence in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. In addition to the region's major markets, Metso is also well represented in other countries in the Middle East. Metso will open a new service center in Qatar in 2014 to further support end-users locally and in neighboring countries.

Metso recently received another significant order in Saudi Arabia for its Neles® and Jamesbury® valves from Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara), a joint venture between Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and The Dow Chemical Company. The valves will be supplied to a fully integrated chemicals complex currently under construction by Sadara in Al Jubail.

Metso's automation solutions are designed to maximize the profitability of our customers' businesses. Automation helps process industry customers generate more output from less input, such as materials and energy, while improving environmental compliance, optimizing yields and maximizing uptime. Our extensive range of flow control and process automation solutions and services is supported by a worldwide network of automation experts.

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Metso is a leading process performance provider, with customers in the mining, construction, and oil & gas industries. Metso is also known for its advanced automation solutions for pulp, paper and power generation. Our focus is on the continuous development of intelligent solutions that improve sustainability and profitability. Metso's shares are listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. Metso employs around 16,000 professionals in 50 countries. Expect results.

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For further information, please contact:
Timo Torvinen, VP, Energy Hydro Carbon Sales and Marketing, Automation, Metso, tel. +358 20 483 5823, email timo.torvinen(at)metso.com