Foster Wheeler to manage expansion project

Foster Wheeler International Corporation's Abu Dhabi Branch has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) services contract by Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge) for a major expansion of the Borouge petrochemicals facility at Ruwais, United Arab Emirates. Borouge is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Copenhagen-based Borealis. The Foster Wheeler contract value was not disclosed and the project will be included in the company's third-quarter 2005 bookings.

'Foster Wheeler is pleased to be selected by Borouge as their PMC partner for this important expansion project', said Steve Davies, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Foster Wheeler's UK office.

'This latest petrochemicals award is a further reflection of the quality of our project management and engineering expertise, and our track record of delivering successful projects in the Middle East'.

'We will work closely with Borouge in an integrated team to fully satisfy all of their business objectives'.

Foster Wheeler will provide professional project management, project control and engineering services to assist Borouge's management team in scope definition, front-end engineering design (FEED), contracting, scheduling, and environmental impact assessment up to award of EPC contracts with an option for services during the EPC phase for the project.

'The expansion project, known as the Borouge Step III project, will more than double the capacity of the existing ethane cracking and polyethylene production units, and also marks our entry into the important polypropylene market', commented Adel-Khalifa Albuainain, Vice President - Projects, Borouge.

'We are delighted to have selected Foster Wheeler as our PMC for this important project'.

'We were impressed by Foster Wheeler's track record and also the quality and commitment of Foster Wheeler's staff and management'.

The existing Borouge facility includes a 600,000 metric tonnes per annum ethane cracker and also produces 580,000t per annum of polyethylene.

The Borouge Step III project comprises a new ethylene complex, which includes a 1.4Mt per annum ethane cracker and boilers, a 540,000t per annum polyethylene unit, two 400,000t per annum polypropylene units, an olefins conversion unit and associated offsites and utilities.

The polyethylene and polypropylene plants will both use Borealis' proprietary Borstar technology.