French industrial gases producer Air Liquide has signed a new long-term contract with China’s Yan'an Energy and Chemical Co., a subsidiary of Yanchang Petroleum Group, to   build on-site air separation plants (ASUs) at the Chinese company’s production site in Fuxian County of Yan'an City in western China's Shaanxi Province.

One of the world’s largest gases suppliers, Air Liquide currently operates more than 85 plants employing some 4,300 people in China. For the Yanchang project it will invest around €80 million in two state-of-the-art ASUs with a total oxygen capacity of 2,800 t/d.

The units planned to start up in the first quarter of 2018 will supply oxygen and nitrogen for the 600,000 t/y olefins complex of one of China’s largest companies engaged in petroleum and natural gas exploration & production as well as oil refining.