King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals and Japan Cooperation Center, Petroleum sign a new research project:

    Dumped value of 'ID':
'155211';

Dumped value of 'images_loop':
[
    {
        'caption' => '',
        'name' => 'kfulogo.jpg',
        'url' => '/8/56688-kfulogo.jpg'
    }
];

The contract was inked by Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad, KFUPM Vice-Rector for Applied Research and Mr. Katsuo Yokoyama, JCCP Managing Director in the presence of Mr. Hiroshi Oka, Minister of the Japanese Embassy in the Kingdom.

Other high officials from KFUPM, JCCP, Nippon Oil and Saudi Aramco attended the ceremony.
Mr. Yokoyama said, 'We believe the project will contribute to the oil industry in Saudi Arabia. In the final stage of the project, we believe KFUPM researchers, with collaboration of Japanese researchers; will develop new high performance FCC catalysts improving productivity of the refineries in Saudi Arabia. Our ultimate aim is to build the concrete reliable relationship between Saudi Arabia and Japan through the project. JCCP will continue to work earnestly toward this goal'.

Dr. Abduljauwad said, 'We are pleased to sign yet another research project with JCCP. This will foster collaborative research ties with Japan and enhance our mission in establishing a research capability at KFUPM. Combining Japanese expertise in refining and KFUPM scientists will help us reach these goals more quickly. I'm sure that results of this project will be beneficial to the petroleum refining industry in Saudi Arabia and Japan'.

The signing of this contract marks the strengthening and the continuation of fruitful collaboration between KFUPM and JCCP since 1993.

The general objective of this has been to enhance KFUPM research and technical capability for providing support to local refineries in the area of catalyst and process development.

The new project calls for JCCP support to exchange of technical know-how between KFUPM and Nippon Oil Research Institute (NORI) in FCC catalyst development and evaluation.

The Center for Refining & Petrochemicals (CRP) at KFUPM Research Institute has accumulated more than 15 years of technical collaboration with JCCP mainly in petroleum refining research.

Dr. Sulaiman Al-Khattaf, Director of CRP said that the collaboration projects with Japan included the following:

- Development and commercialization of FCC refining technology with partnership between KFUPM. JCCP, Nippon Oil and Saudi Aramco. The new process converts heavy petroleum fractions to gasoline and petrochemical feedstocks.
- Development of high performance catalyst for heavy oil upgrading.
- Enhancement of aromatics production, mainly paraxylene from heavy aromatics.
The new project will enable KFUPM researchers and faculty members to collaborate with NORI researchers in solving issues related to FCC basic and applied research.

The University will acquire enhanced capability for the evaluation of FCC catalysts using Advanced Cracking Evaluation (ACE) unit.

It will help creating a business potential to serve refiners in selecting and developing better catalysts to improve yield and quality of products.