State-owned downstream operator Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (Kipic) is continuing to press ahead with the commissioning of the $16bn Al-Zour refinery in the wake of running into technical problems in April.The facility currently has a refining capacity of more than 410,000 barrels, according to Kipic’s executive vice president for administrative and commercial affairs, Abdullah Fahad al-Ajmi.He said that Kipic would continue to push towards reaching the full refining capacity of 615,000 barrels.Al-Ajmi said that Kipic is preparing to fill vacancies for managers and team leaders and this is expected to be completed within 3 weeks.He also said that Kipic is preparing contracts for the appointment of 25 Kuwaiti graduates that are due to start work at the company and that the company is working to move from its current headquarters in Salmiya to its new headquarters in Ahmadi.The move is expected to be completed within the next few weeks.His announcements come after 20 new senior management officials were named across Kuwait’s state-owned oil companies in August.It also comes as the state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) implements a large-scale reorganisation.The completion of the commissioning of the Al-Zour refinery has suffered repeated setbacks over 2023.When completely commissioned, Kuwait’s Al-Zour refinery, which is set to become one of the largest of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, will produce mainly gasoline, diesel and kerosene to Euro 5 emission standards.The project comprises five main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages. The EPC contracts were awarded during the second half of 2015.Contractors started work on their respective packages towards the end of that year.The oil refining facility reached mechanical completion in 2021, but the commissioning phase was prolonged by several factors including the Covid-19 pandemic and related measures designed to reduce the spread of the virus impacted the project’s progress. (ICE KUWAIT)

Fonte notizia: MEED