Kuwait National Petroleum Company
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The Kuwait National Petroleum Company is the national oil refining company of Kuwait. Established in October 1960, KNPC handles the responsibility of oil refining, gas liquefaction, and distribution of petroleum goods within the local market.
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[edit] History
Establish in October 1960 as a share-holding company owned by the Kuwait government and private sector, KNPC became fully government-owned in 1975. Since 1968 the company had been exporting petroleum products from its Shuaiba Refinery. In 1980, following the restructuring of the oil sector in Kuwait, KNPC was placed under the newly-created Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), which was also government owned. Under this position, KNPC took control of distributing petroleum products within Kuwait, along with the ownership of the Mina Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries.
[edit] Refineries
- Mina Abdullah refinery: Built in 1958 by the American Independent Oil Company, Mina Abdullah was passed to the Kuwaiti state in 1975 and transferred to KNPC in 1978. Spanning 7,835,000 m², and located 46km south of Kuwait City, Mina Abdullah is capable of refining 240,000 Barrels-per-day (BPD).
- Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery: Initially built in 1949, the refinery was handed over to KNPC in 1980. Spanning 10,534,000 m², it is located 45km south of Kuwait City with a production rate exceeding 415,000 BPD.
- Shuaiba Refinery: Built in 1966, Shuaiba Refinery was the first refinery in the region to be built by a national company. The refinery spans 1,332,000 m² and is located 50km south of Kuwait City within the Shuaiba Industrial Area. The refinery has a capacity of 195,000 BPD.
- New Refinery Project: KNPC has released plans to build a fourth refinery and is currently searching for international firms to design and construct it. The refinery is expected to have a capacity of 615,000 bpd, making it the largest refinery in the middle east.
