Kuwait shuts down Shuaiba refinery

Kuwait shut down its Shuaiba refinery on Friday, a key step in the implementation of the country’s USD 12-billion Clean Fuel Project (CFP).

The CFP is repurposing facilities from the Shuaiba refinery as part of an upgrade and expansion of Kuwait National Petroleum Company’s Mina Al Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries that will transform them into an integrated petrochemicals complex able to meet international market requirements for low-sulphur, Euro-quality fuels.

Built in 1968, Shuaiba is Kuwait’s oldest refinery. Five units from the decommissioned facility will be refurbished for the project.

The CFP is being undertaken by the Kuwait National Petroleum Company.

In related news, Kuwaiti Minister of Oil Essam Al Marzouq said on Thursday that Kuwait would sign a partnership agreement with Oman related to the sultanate’s Duqm refinery.

Details of the partnership, expected to be signed April 10, are not yet clear.

Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI) is a 50/50 partner with Oman Oil Company (OOC) in the development of the 230,000-bopd refinery, which will be integrated with a petrochemical complex.

KPI came on board in November 2016 after Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Investment Company pulled out of its 2012 joint venture with OOC.

In February, OOC announced it was in the process of completing shareholder agreements with KPI for the facility, the final investment decision of which is expected to be taken in Q2 2017.