Saudi Aramco, SABIC unveil plans to realign marketing, sales, commercial, supply chain activities

Logos of Saudi Aramco and SABIC

Saudi Aramco and SABIC today announce their intention to transfer the marketing and sales responsibility for a number of Aramco petrochemicals and polymers products to SABIC, and the offtake and resale responsibility of a number of SABIC products to Aramco Trading Company (ATC).

The effect of these changes, planned to be implemented on a phased basis during 2021, subject to the necessary consents being obtained, will focus SABIC on petrochemicals products and ATC on fuel products, both companies said in a statement received by Argaam.

This is a significant step in aligning the Aramco and SABIC strategies, following Aramco’s acquisition of a 70% stake in SABIC in June 2020.

Saudi Aramco and SABIC will continue to review options for further global marketing and sales transfers across product-producing companies within the Aramco group portfolio.

The changes will drive further operational efficiencies, strengthen the brands of both companies and their combined products and services offering, and help to maintain competitiveness. Customers will benefit from improved product range and availability, ordering and points of sale, supply chain, shipping reliability, and after-market services and solutions.

Responsibility for the global marketing and sales of certain Aramco petrochemicals and poly-mers products and those of its joint ventures and affiliates will transfer to SABIC, initially fo-cused on: PRefChem (Pengerang Petrochemical Company Sdn. Bhd.); SADARA (Sadara Chemical Company); and, S-Oil Corporation (S-Oil Corporation, South Korea).

After completing the consolidation of petrochemical products, SABIC will market the following products, which include both existing products and extensions to its portfolio: HDPE, LLDPE, LDPE, PP copolymer, PP homopolymer, PP terpolymer, ethylene vinyl acetate copoly-mer(EVA), PMMA, PA6, MEG, DEG, TEG, Mono-Ethanolamine (MEA), Di-Ethanolamine (DEA), Tri-Ethanolamine (TEA), Ethylene diamine (EDA), DiEthyleneTriamine (DETA), ortho-Toluenedia-mine, Polymeric Methylene Diphenol Diisocyanate (PMDI), Toluene diisocyanate (TDI), Propyl-ene Glycols, Polyols, Propylene Oxide, MMA, Butyl Glycol Ether, Acetone and Phenol.

In parallel, responsibility for offtake, resale and sourcing of a number of existing SABIC fuel products globally (Benzene, MTBE, gasoline blending components and EU cracker feedstocks) will transfer from SABIC to ATC. Sales of Aramco Para-Xylene will remain with ATC.

A number of marketing and sales transfer exclusions currently apply, and there are therefore no changes planned to the following:

- Aramco: excess production of Olefins.

- ARLANXEO: portfolio products (rubber and elastomer).

- Motiva: portfolio products (cyclohexane, propylene and ethylene).

- S-Oil: responsibility for domestic marketing and sales in Korea.

Meanwhile, responsibility for the commercial aspects of liquid bulk marine shipping services will be consolidated under ATC (including chemicals and feedstock), while responsibility for the shipping of all solid products and customer product delivery will be consolidated under SABIC.