ShareKUWAIT: Under the presence and patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the oil sector inaugurated the official opening of Al-Zour Refinery, marking the commencement of its full operations on Wednesday.Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Dr Imad Muhammad Al-Ateeqi conveyed the privilege felt by the Kuwaiti oil sector in hosting His Highness the Amir at the event, while expressing heartfelt wishes for his protection and prosperity.
By inaugurating Al-Zour refinery, Al-Ateeqi stated that the oil sector succeeded in reaching an unprecedented refining capacity of one million eight hundred and thirty thousand barrels per day. This capacity, as he noted, is distributed among six oil refineries, three of which are inside Kuwait: Mina Al-Ahmadi, Mina Abdullah, and Al-Zour, which produce together, 1.415 million barrels per day, and three outside it, which are (Duqm) in the Sultanate of Oman, (Nghe Son) in Vietnam, and (Milazzo) in Italy, of which Kuwait’s share of its total production is about 415,000 barrels per day.
Meeting international standards
During his speech, Al-Ateeqi pointed to Al-Zour refinery as one of the most important projects of the development plan in the State of Kuwait, particularly as one of the key pillars of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s 2040 strategic plan. The plan aims to produce high-quality oil derivatives that comply with international environmental standards and requirements, while also supplying clean fuel to local power stations, addressing the escalating demand for electrical energy fueled by population growth and urban expansion in the country.
Bringing the development vision of “New Kuwait 2035” into reality, he stated, “this pioneering project contributes to increasing the profitability of our products, opening new global markets for these products, and enhancing the leadership position of the State of Kuwait as a major global energy provider.”
Additionally, he highlighted the project’s contribution to creating job opportunities for national employees, with 667 individuals, recent graduates holding university degrees and diplomas, being engaged in the completion of this monumental national asset.
Amid the global intense competition in the oil sector, fast paced developments, along with the ongoing challenges, Al-Ateeqi stressed that the sector is giving its full potential to remain competitive and maintain Kuwait’s position as one of the most important countries producing oil and its derivatives. This, as he mentioned, has been achieved through the sector’s commitment to investing in modern technologies and the development of the capabilities and skills of human capital that has long contributed to the country’s wealth.
The acting CEO of the Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company Engineer, Wadha Ahmed Al-Khatib, noted the importance of this day as it celebrates the full operation of which is considered one of the largest refining projects in the world, with a refining capacity of 615 thousand barrels per day. She stated that this project, along with the environmental fuel project at the Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries, marks the beginning of a new era in the progress of the Kuwaiti oil sector. This advancement enables Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries to expand their export and marketing capabilities, allowing them to access new international markets, Khatib added.
Where Efficiency Meets Eco-Friendly Practices
Describing Al-Zour refinery, she highlighted its high flexibility in refining operations. It is designed to process Kuwaiti oils of varying specifications, making it a vital strategic hub for handling heavy oils. The refinery has the capability to produce high-quality oil derivatives, including jet fuel, diesel, chemical naphtha, and low-sulfur fuel oil, added Khatib. These products, according to her, are exported to more than 30 regional and international countries via the refinery’s sea island, while also meeting the local power plants’ need for low-sulfur fuel oil for electricity production.
According to Khatib, the refinery also contains the largest complex of units for removing sulfur from waste oil from the atmospheric distillation unit in the world. Thus, the refinery raises the refining capacity of the country’s refineries from 800 thousand barrels per day to one million and 415 thousand barrels per day.
Additionally, Al-Zour refinery is designed to utilize treated water for industrial and irrigation purposes. It features special stations to monitor air quality and employs advanced furnaces and boilers to reduce emissions. This is part of an integrated environmental system aimed at controlling and monitoring environmental impact, she explained.
To fulfill Kuwait’s commitment in achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2050, she concluded by noting that the oil sector is keen to play an active and influential role within global efforts in the field of energy transformation, contributing to confronting the challenges of climate change and environmental protection.
