Kuwaiti state refiner KNPC this week began work on the country’s KD4.68bn ($15.65bn) Clean Fuel Project (CFP). This will boost capacity at the Mina ‘Abd Allah and Mina al-Ahmadi refineries to a combined 800,000 b/d, whilst transforming them “into an integrated merchant refining complex that meets the diversified requirement of the world oil market,” KNPC CEO Muhammad al-Mutairi says. Work is due for late-2017 completion.

Kuwait’s current refining capacity is 936,000 b/d: 466,000 b/d at Mina al-Ahmadi, 270,000 b/d at Mina ‘Abd Allah and 200,000 b/d at Shuaiba. KNPC is also tendering for construction of a new 615,000 b/d refinery at Al-Zour in the Neutral Zone (see p6). Once the CFP and Al-Zour project are complete, the aging Shuaiba plant will be closed, leaving Kuwait with 1.42mn b/d refining capacity. (CONTINUED - 277 WORDS)