Special to WorldTribune.com

ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia intends to significantly increase its oil
refining capacity.

The state-owned Saudi Aramco plans to raise domestic refining capacity
by more than 50 percent over the next five years. Aramco said the current
refining capacity of 2.26 million barrels per day would increase to 3.5
million by 2016.

“Soon, we will see additions to this picture,” Armaco vice president
Mohammed Al Omair told a conference in Bahrain on Oct. 24.

Armaco operates seven refineries in Saudi Arabia and plans to establish
another three facilities. Each of the new refineries, the first of which
scheduled for launch in 2012, was designed to have a capacity of 400,000
barrels per day.

  oil, oil refining, Saudi Aramco, Saudis to raise refining capacity by 50 percent by 2016