Yanbu Steel has revealed it is currently engaged in the fabrication of columns and reactors for refinery expansions in Iraq.

The company also announced it has plans to introduce a new line of shell and tube heat exchanges with larger capacities in various metallurgical combinations.

"Yanbu Steel is seriously focusing on the high-end reactor and column market internationally and has plans to shortly introduce fabrication in exotic metals such as titanium, hestalloy, inconel and monel which are highly specialised in nature and will be an import substitution product in Saudi Arabia," a company spokesman said.

The spokesman added that the company was organising a highly equipped and trained industrial services group to cater to the turnaround and maintenance needs of various petrochemical companies and refineries.

It also plans to work closely with certain original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as their manufacturing and servicing hub for Saudi Arabia and possibly the entire Gulf region. "OEMs are typically European and American companies who source their specialised mechanical products in the parent countries but have to service them at regular intervals while at the same time wanting to increase the component of local input in their products," the spokesman said.

Yanbu Steel has a wholly owned subsidiary in India.

"Yanbu Steel is gradually developing into a turnkey project execution company for the requirements of the oil and gas, chemical, water and other industries," the spokesman said.

The company's main business is constructing shop- and site-erected tanks. As well as reactors, columns and tanks, Yanbu Steel fabricates towers, spheres, large pressure vessels, stacks and other specialised equipment. It is also involved in high-volume structural steel fabrication and turnaround services.

Turnover was SR150 million ($40 million) in 2008. The company expects to come in the range of SR250 million for full-year 2009. The half-year turnover was SR100 million.