KNPC Selects PMC for $18-Billion Clean Fuel Project

Researched by Industrial Info Resources India (Delhi, India)--Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC) has selected Foster Wheeler AG (NASDAQ: FWLT) (Baar, Switzerland) as its Project Management Consultant (PMC) for its proposed $18-Billion 'Clean Fuel Project'.

KNPC intends to modernize the country's two largest refineries- Mina Abdulla and Mina Al Ahmadi- into an integrated merchant refinery complex to meet the burgeoning Oil-demand posed by the domestic and international markets, while maintaining present international safety and environmental standards.

KNPC expects to finalize the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor for the major units by end of the year. The company has also selected Burgan One General Trading and Contracting Company (Kuwait) for site preparatory work, which includes land leveling, fencing, construction of gates and approach roads.

Due to be commissioned by the second quarter of 2018, the objective of the 'Clean Fuel Project' is to produce high-value products such as kerosene, naphtha and gasoline. The project involves constriction of at least 30 new units at Mina Abdulla and Mina Al-Ahmadi refineries and to produce 10-Parts Per Million (ppm) of low sulfur diesel and Euro IV compliant gasoline with other major products. The units that are being added in both refineries under Clean Fuel Project are Atmospheric Reside Desulfurization (ARDS) unit, Isomerization unit, Sulfur Recovery unit, Amine Regeneration Unit, Vacuum Rerun Unit, Delayed Coker Unit, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) treating unit along with the Revamp of some existing units.

According to KNPC, post completion of the 'Clean Fuel Project' the refiner will be able to meet the challenge posed by the stringent environmental norms in the world market. Kuwait, the fourth largest oil producer in the Middle East, presently has three refineries Mina Al Ahmadi, Mina Abdulla and Shuaiba with refining capacities of 466 Kilo Barrel Per day (KBPD), 270 KBPD and 200 KBPD respectively. KNPC is also planning to come up with a new 615 KBPD-refinery at Al Zour, which on commissioning will increase the country's total refining capacity to 1,550 KBPD.

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