The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) bid deadline for Petro Rabigh’s $3.5 billion refinery upgrade has been moved to the end of December 2026, after an earlier cut‑off of 19 November was shifted by the client.

Petro Rabigh, the joint venture between Saudi Aramco (60 % ownership) and Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical, set the new deadline in December, according to the company’s announcement.

The upgrade will add a 64,000 bpd residue hydrotreating and conversion unit and a 75,000 bpd diesel‑treatment plant to the existing 340,000 bpd complex on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

Supporting works include new storage tanks, inter‑connecting pipelines, electrical substations and utility upgrades, all to be integrated into the operating refinery without interrupting output.

Four international EPC teams are competing for the contract: Taiwan’s CTCI, Japan’s JGC Corporation, Spain’s Técnicas Reunidas, and a consortium of Larsen & Toubro with Technip Energies.

Australia’s Worley, which completed the front‑end engineering design (FEED), will act as project management consultant for the upgrade.

Petro Rabigh has not disclosed the EPC contract value; the bids submitted by the four consortia will determine the final price.

The project aims to convert low‑value heavy fuel oil residue into clean fuels and petrochemical feedstocks, boosting the refinery’s clean‑fuels slate by 64,000‑75,000 bpd of residue‑conversion capacity.

Bids are due by the December deadline, after which Petro Rabigh will evaluate the submissions and award the main EPC contract.