Collaboration Aims to Build a World-Class Integrated Refining and Petrochemical Complex
YANBU INDUSTRIAL CITY, Saudi Arabia, April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Yanbu Refinery joint venture, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec," HKG:0386) and Saudi Arabian Oil Company ("Aramco") signed a venture framework agreement ("VFA") to advance the Yanbu Refinery Expansion Project.
The project will leverage existing facilities to construct new units, including a large-scale mixed feed steam cracker of 1.8 million metric tons per year ethylene plant, a 1.5 million ton per year aromatics plant with associated downstream polyolefin units, enhancing integrated refining and petrochemical synergies and fostering an innovative, full-industry-chain ecosystem. Upon completion, the expansion will significantly boost production capacity for high-end petrochemical products, support Saudi Arabia's industrial diversification strategy, and meet growing global market demand.
"The Yanbu Refinery stands as a testament to the strong friendship between China and Saudi Arabia, delivering robust economic benefits and advancing the petrochemical industry's modernization," commented Zhao Dong, Sinopec Group President. "This expansion will unlock greater synergies between Sinopec and Aramco, creating a world-leading integrated refining and petrochemical enterprise with global competitiveness. Together, we will contribute to a low-carbon energy transition."
Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser emphasized, "The Yanbu expansion agreement deepens Aramco's strategic partnership with Sinopec. By prioritizing product innovation and diversification, we aim to reinforce Saudi Arabia's leadership in the global energy and chemicals landscape while positioning Yanbu as a premier integrated refining and petrochemical hub."
The Yanbu Refinery, a flagship collaboration under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and China's Belt and Road Initiative, is located in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. The Yanbu Refinery spans 5.2 million square meters and processes 430,000 barrels per day of Saudi heavy crude oil, producing high-quality refined products and value-added chemicals for global markets. As a pivotal energy hub in the Middle East, the refinery has driven Saudi Arabia's industrial modernization and international engagement.
The expansion project marks a new chapter in the partnership, combining technological innovation and industrial chain optimization to upgrade traditional energy cooperation models and explore sustainable development pathways.
The expansion project will integrate new ethylene, aromatics, and polyolefin units with existing infrastructure, elevating the complex's refining-petrochemical integration capabilities and expanding production of high-performance materials. It will also incorporate advanced technologies and green innovations to support Saudi Arabia's economic diversification and decarbonization goals.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Sinopec and Aramco Sign Venture Framework Agreement to Expand Yanbu Refinery
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Soft tissue regeneration company, Aroa Biosurgery, is pleased to announce a milestone in clinical evidence.
There are now over 100 peer-reviewed studies describing the efficacy of the company's proprietary AROA ECM technology.
AROA's most recent publication was a large retrospective analysis of real-world evidence (RWE) from wound care centers in the US, assessing the efficacy of the company's Endoform NaturalTM product in treating venous leg ulcers (VLUs), in comparison to a leading reconstituted collagen dressing.
VLU's are open sores that are hard-to-heal because of impaired blood flow and can be very debilitating and painful. These types of wounds are difficult for clinicians to treat successfully. For example, only ~40% of VLUs can be healed after 3 months of treatment and there is a relatively high chance that these wounds will recur[1].
The peer-reviewed study, entitled "Clinical Efficacy of Ovine Forestomach Matrix and Collagen/Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose for the Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers: A Retrospective Comparative Real-World Evidence Study" was published in the open access journal 'International Wound Journal in April 2025.
The study compared 470 VLU's that had been treated with Endoform Natural to 360 VLU's that had been treated with a reconstituted collagen product. The study used existing data from 223 wound care centers with minimal inclusion or exclusion criteria so that 'real-world' use of both products could be compared.
"There is a growing awareness of RWE studies to validate clinical performance" says Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Barnaby May. "These types of studies enable much larger patient numbers to be compared versus traditional randomized controlled trials. Given that RWE studies use data from 'real-world' use of a treatment, the results can be more meaningful, especially in wound care where there is a high degree of variability in how wounds are cared for and patient factors."
The study found that VLUs treated with Endoform Natural healed up to ~ 8 weeks faster versus the comparator group, and the chances of the wound healing were significantly improved when Endoform Natural was used as part of treatment.
The striking difference in the healing outcomes demonstrate the potential for considerable cost reductions and improvements in patient quality of life, due to the significant improvements seen when VLUs were treated using Endoform Natural.
Dr. Gregory Bohn MD was part of the research team. "I was first introduced to Endoform in 2012 and started using the product to treat my own patients with VLUs. This new data validates what I have seen in my own practice managing VLUs with Endoform."
This is the second large retrospective RWE comparing Endoform Natural to a leading reconstituted collagen dressing. A previous study included the analysis of over 2,200 diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and also demonstrated significantly faster healing of DFUs using Endoform Natural[2].
The study is available online here.
[1] Kolluri R, Lugli M, Villalba L, Varcoe R, Maleti O, Gallardo F, et al. An estimate of the economic burden of venous leg ulcers associated with deep venous disease. Vasc Med. 2022;27(1):63-72.
[2] Bosque BA, Frampton C, Chaffin AE, Bohn GA, Woo K, DeLeonardis C, Lepow BD, Melin MM, Madu T, Dowling SG, May BCH. Retrospective real-world comparative effectiveness of ovine forestomach matrix and collagen/ORC in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Int Wound J. 2022 May;19(4):741-753.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
AROA hits evidence milestone with real-world study validating the efficacy of Endoform in treating challenging venous leg ulcers.
