Saudi state petroleum firm Aramco and Malaysia’s counterpart Petronas have delivered the first cargo of crude oil to their 300,000 b/d Rapid joint venture refinery in Malaysia’s southern Johor province. The crude will be used for commissioning the plant, Aramco announced on 26 September. Commissioning is due to begin in October, with full commercial operation anticipated in the first quarter of 2019. The Navarin VLCC delivered 1mn barrels each of Saudi Arabian Medium crude and Iraqi’s Basrah Light to the Pengerang oil terminal, according to Reuters. Aramco paid $7bn to take 50% of the JV last year and will have the option to supply up to 70% of the plant’s crude feedstock (MEES, 3 March 2017). Aramco says that in the longer term the refinery will provide feedstock for an integrated 3.3mn t/y petrochemicals complex.