State-owned downstream operator Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (Kipic) is conducting tests to evaluate the performance of the third crude distillation unit (CDU) at the $16bn Al-Zour refinery.The third and final CDU was brought online in July this year, but the refinery is still not running at its nameplate capacityEarlier this month, Kipic’s executive vice-president for administrative and commercial affairs, Abdullah Fahad al-Ajmi, said the facility was processing 410,000 barrels a day (b/d).At the time, he said Kipic would continue to push towards reaching the full refining capacity of 615,000 b/d.The completion of the commissioning of the Al-Zour refinery has suffered repeated setbacks over 2023, including technical problems that were announced in April and led to the temporary shutdown of the second CDU.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. However, the commissioning phase was prolonged by several factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic and related measures designed to reduce the spread of the virus. (ICE KUWAIT)

Fonte notizia: MEED