Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company, a JV between the two giants, was formed to develop, construct and own crude oil refining facilities in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia which went online in 1984.

Their new project will reduce the sulphur levels in gasoline and diesel by over 98%, to 10 parts per million, which makes the refinery an industry leader in emissions reduction.

ExxonMobil Corporation senior vice president Darren Woods said the successful recent start-up of the Clean Fuels project illustrated the refinery's advancements and preparations to meet global energy demands.

SAMREF CEO Mohammad Al Naghash said the JV contributed to the global competitiveness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by providing "world class fuels" and creating jobs and improving the surrounding environment.

ExxonMobil also brought another hydrotreater online in a Singapore refinery producing ultra-low sulphur diesel, which increased the facility's low-sulphur diesel capacity to around 25 million litres a day, more than 9 million litres of which can meet ultra-low sulphur diesel specifications.

The oil giant said that when used in modern engines, ultra-low sulfur diesel, commonly used to fuel vehicles and equipment such as tractor trailers, buses, marine vessels, locomotives and backhoes, could greatly reduce emissions and improve air quality.

ExxonMobil's annual Energy Outlook projected last year that demand for diesel would grow sharply between 2010 and 2040 - by about 75% - to power the rise in activity in trucks and other commercial transportation.

Diesel will also play a more significant role in the marine sector in the latter half of the Outlook period, in response to stricter marine emissions standards, ExxonMobil said.

The strongest growth for transportation demand is in Asia Pacific, which remains the largest consumer of heavy-duty vehicle energy and will see a significant increase in personal vehicle ownership, about 500 million vehicles, during the Outlook period.