Saudi Aramco and Sabic awarded the US engineering firm KBR a project management contract for their joint oil-to-chemicals project, the National reported.

“With the addition of KBR to the project, Saudi Aramco and Sabic are confident that the right parties are now in place to see the project through its initial phases and the inclusion of a high proportion of local content,” said Aramco chief executive and president Amin Nasser.

Aramco and Sabic signed an agreement in November to construct an oil-to-chemicals facility worth $20 billion on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.

The complex will be integrated with an existing refinery in the City of Yanbu and is expected to process 400,000 b/d of oil and roughly 9 million tonnes of chemicals and base oils per year. The project comes as a part of Aramco’s plans to increase non-crude-based profitability.

KBR will handle project management and front-end engineering and design. British company Wood Group was also awarded a management and design contract for the project.