In January 2008 Saudi Polymers Co. (SPC) began construction on an integrated petrochemicals complex near Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia. SPC is a 50/50 joint venture between Chevron Phillips and National Petrochemical Co. (Petrochem), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Industrial Investment Group (SIIG). The new facility will be the third petrochemical complex built by Chevron Phillips and SIIG at the al-Jubail industrial city, which is located on Saudi Arabia's Persian Gulf coast.

The $5-billion complex, National Chevron Phillips (NCP), will comprise a 1.2-million-tonne-per-annum (tpa) olefins cracker, a 1.1 million-tpa polyethylene unit; a 400,000-tpa polypropylene unit, and a 200,000-tpa metathesis facility, a 100,000-tpa 1-hexene facility, and two 550,000-tpa 1-hexene facilities. It will produce the following products: ethylene, propylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and 1-hexene. The large majority of products from NCP will be purchased by a distribution company owned by Chevron Phillips and Petrochem.

Japan-based JGC Corp. will perform the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the project's 1.2MM-tpa cracker, 200-kta metathesis facility, and 100-kta 1-hexene facility. Lummus will provide the cracker and metathesis technologies and Chevron Phillips Chemical will provide the 1-hexene technology.

Daelim Industrial Co., Ltd. of South Korea will provide EPC services for the 2 x 550-kta polyethylene trains, 400-kta polypropylene train, and 2 x 100-kta polystyrene trains.

According to a Chevron Phillips financial statement dated June 30, 2008, mechanical completion of the complex is scheduled for early 2011. Commercial production is expected to begin by the end of that year.