Energy company Saudi Aramco has chosen Spanish engineer Tecnicas Reunidas and China’s Sinopec to build a $3.3bn gas refinery in Saudi Arabia.

Tecnicas Reunidas will own 65% of the project, and Sinopec will have a 35% share.

Aramco previously signed a strategic alliance with the two companies.

The work will be carried out on the basis of two EPC contracts, one for the execution of the Riyas NGL Fractional Trains and another for the development of the NGL Common Facilities, which includes public service, storage and export infrastructure.

The main objective of the project is to extract ethane, propane, butane and pentane from natural gas. When complete, the trains will be able to process 510,000 barrels of gas a day.

The Common Facilities element will be used for storage and equipment that includes vapour and condensate recovery, water supply, air and nitrogen instrumentation, cooling and drainage.

The first contract is expected to take 46 months to complete and the second 41 months. Up to 575 engineers will work on the projects, of which more than 70% will be from Técnicas Reunidas.