Oleg Nikishin, Getty Images
An oil refinery fire blazes in October 2002 in Iraq. Another refinery in that country has closed temporarily after a fire Monday.

Kuwait Refinery Shuts After Fire

Aug. 17, 2015
The refinery will close for good in the near future, thanks to upgrades at the two largest refineries in the country and construction of a new one.

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait — The Shuaiba refinery south of the Kuwaiti capital was closed Monday after a fire in which no one was injured, official news agency KUNA said. The refinery is the third-largest in the country.

The closure was a precautionary measure, Ahmed al-Jimaz, an official at the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, told KUNA. All the refinery's employees were evacuated unharmed, he said. The cause of the fire was not known and it was not immediately clear when the refinery would re-open.

The refinery, which has a production capacity of 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), is soon to close for good after upgrades of the oil-rich country's two other refineries and the construction of a new one.

At the end of July, Kuwait announced that it had awarded four contracts worth a combined $11.5 billion to international consortiums for the construction of a 615,000 bpd oil refinery. Last year, Kuwait awarded tenders for a project worth $12 billion to upgrade the Mina al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries.

When that work is completed by around 2018 and the new refinery is built, Kuwait's refining capacity will increase from the current 930,000 bpd to 1.4 million bpd.

Kuwait is home to about 10% of the world's proven oil reserves and is pumping 2.8 million bpd.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

How to Build Zero-Cost On-Site Solar and Storage Projects

Nov. 25, 2023
The Inflation Reduction Act offers tax credits, incentives, and financing that enable no-cost projects. In Enel’s eBook, discover the critical role that incentives play in your...

7 Crucial Steps to Improve Your OT Security

Oct. 23, 2023
Enhance OT security in manufacturing and production. Uncover the crucial steps to safeguard your operational technology. Protect against evolving threats and bridge the IT-OT ...

Legacy Phone Lines Are Draining Your Profits

Oct. 30, 2023
Copper wire phone line expenses that support emergency devices could be costing your company millions of dollars in wasteful overhead expenses. Rates have been skyrocketing while...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!