Saudi Aramco will acquire Royal Dutch Shell’s ( RDSa.L ) 50 percent stake in their Saudi refining joint venture SASREF for $631 million, the two companies said on Sunday. The purchase, which is part of Aramco’s strategy to expand its downstream operations, will be completed later this year, they said in a joint statement. Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Co (SASREF), based in Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia, has a crude oil refining capacity of 305,000 barrels per day (bpd). “Saudi Aramco will take full ownership and integrate the refinery into its growing downstream portfolio. SASREF will continue to be a critical facility in our refining and chemicals business,” Abdulaziz al-Judaimi, Aramco’s senior vice president […]