The refining industry in the Gulf region continues to expand, and the MERA oil joint venture formed by multiple parties from the United States and Saudi Arabia is pushing forward the massive integrated refinery project. The site selection work is entering the final stage, and the project is targeting the global crude oil trade export track.

MERA Oil Company is formed by the US MWG Group, Patel Family Office, and PWS under the Saudi AHQ Group, promoting a comprehensive refinery and export corridor plan with a total investment of $5 billion. The designed daily production capacity of the refinery is 200000 barrels, and the candidate sites are concentrated in three locations within the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The final site is planned to be determined by the end of 2026. The project site is located away from the Strait of Hormuz, with supporting deep-water ports, large-scale oil storage and offshore export facilities, and an export platform for direct international shipping routes.

The project will apply energy-saving refining processes and advanced emission control systems to simultaneously assess the development potential of sustainable aviation fuels and carbon management. The joint venture is currently in contact with raw material suppliers, and the raw material agreement will be finalized synchronously with the site selection results. After the site is determined, site evaluation and engineering design will be carried out, with the goal of completing mechanical construction by the end of 2029, followed by commissioning and commercial operation.Editor/Min Jing