Through our network of domestic wholly-owned refineries and our joint venture refineries with international partners, we produce critical feedstock for industry and the essential fuels that meet the needs of productive communities around the world.
The company's downstream operations began in 1945 when the Ras Tanura refinery started operations and expanded with the acquisition of an in-Kingdom refining network from Samarec in 1993. Today, we produce a full slate of quality fuels and lubricants that meet or exceed international quality standards.
Our principle refined products include: LPG, naphtha, gasoline, jet fuel/kerosene, diesel, heavy fuel oil, and asphalt. Aramco's refining operations are conducted in the Kingdom and internationally through wholly owned and affiliated refineries. The refining operations allow Aramco to transform its crude oil and NGL into refined products and chemicals for sale within the Kingdom and internationally.
Aramco specifically designs and configures its refining system to optimize production using the crude oil it produces, which helps reduce supply chain cost and improve operational efficiency in its refining operations, and therefore, the supply of refined products to its downstream customers.
Aramco's in-Kingdom refineries, both wholly owned and affiliated, receive their crude oil supply from Aramco's upstream production. Together with the local distribution system, this provides Aramco unique access to the large domestic marketplace to which it is the sole supplier.
Aramco's equity share of refined products and the refined products produced through its wholly owned refineries located within the Kingdom are primarily distributed wholesale to domestic fuels retailers and industrial customers through Aramco's pipelines, distribution and terminals system.
Once Aramco's Jazan Refinery Complex is ready for full operations, expected in the first half of 2021, Aramco will have five wholly owned refineries within the Kingdom, three of which were built specifically to supply transportation and utility fuels for the domestic marketplace. Aramco's four domestic affiliated refineries within the Kingdom are highly competitive with other world-class facilities based on scale, configurations and product yields. Through long-term supply agreements with these ventures, Aramco has the right to supply all crude processed at these refineries.
In addition to increasing its in-Kingdom refining capability, Aramco is also expanding its strategically integrated downstream business in high-growth economies, such as China, India and Southeast Asia, while maintaining its current participation in material demand centers, such as the United States and countries that rely on importing crude oil such as Japan and South Korea.
With the significant step in aligning Aramco and SABIC strategies, following Aramco's acquisition of a 70% stake in SABIC, the global diversified chemicals company, has enabled us to strengthen our chemicals platform, and expand our reach and footprint in more than 50 countries, worldwide.
We supply refined products to more than 17,000 service stations worldwide with 5,300 located in the U.S., more than 5,200 in China and South Korea, 6,500 in Japan and 270 service stations in Saudi Arabia.