Saipem Awarded $150 Synthetic Rubber Facility Contract

A consortium of Italian oil field services company Saipem and Egypt-based Petrojet has been awarded a $150 million contract by Egyptian Ethylene & Derivatives Co. (Ethydco) for the country's first polybutadiene-producing facility with annual production capacity of 36,000 metric tonnes, it was announced last week.

Polybutadiene is a synthetic rubber with a high resistance to wear and is used in the manufacture of tires, which consumes about 70 percent of all global production.

The consortium would be jointly responsible for "detailed engineering design, procurement and supply of equipment and materials, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning up to successful start-up and performance testing," Saipem said in a press statement.

The scope of work of the new plant comprises one production train of Low Cis Butadiene Rubber and related facilities, the statement said.

"After successful completion of the fast-track Zohr project, this award confirms Saipem as a partner of choice to support the sustainable development of Egypt," the statement quoted Maurizio Coratella, Chief Operating Officer of the Saipem Onshore E&C Division as saying.

Mid-month, the company had issued a press statement announcing the withdrawal of its 2020 guidance noting that "the intensification of the uncertainty caused by the development of the pandemic might cause a sharp demand contraction and consequently a delay of some projects."

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