Kuwait energy

11 June 2013

Six executives leading Kuwait’s hydrocarbons sector following its reorganisation: Nizar al-Adsani, Mustafa Jassem al-Shamali, Hosnia Hashim, Bakheet al-Rashidi, Mohammed Ghazi al-Mutairi and Nawaf al-Sabah,

Nizar al-Adsani

Position: Chief executive officer (CEO), Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC)

Biography: Nizar al-Adsani has almost 30 years of experience in Kuwait’s hydrocarbons sector. He was appointed to his current role in late May as part of a major reorganisation of the country’s oil industry. Al-Adsani has worked for several KPC subsidies in various roles. He started as a project engineer for Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and worked his way up to become the general superintendent of project management by 1999. Between 1999 and 2004, Al-Adsani worked as manager of planning and investment at KPC, before working for two years at Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) in the Divided Zone. He became chairman of KJO in 2011. Al-Adsani was later appointed managing director of Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company, a role he performed until his recent promotion. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from South Dakota University in the US.

Contact Tel: (+965) 1 858 585

Mustafa Jassem al-Shamali

Position: Finance minister and acting oil minister

Biography: Following the resignation in May of Oil Minister Hani Hussein, the Kuwait government decided against appointing someone permanently in the role and instead appointed Finance Minister Mustafa Jassem al-Shamali on an interim basis. Al-Shamali has held various posts in Kuwait’s government over the past 27 years. Between 1986 and 2006, he was undersecretary for economic affairs for Kuwait. In 2007, he was appointed Finance Minister. While in that role, Al-Shamali has been a strong advocate for diversifying Kuwait’s economy. As part of his position in government, he also chairs the higher committee of development projects and the Kuwait Investment Authority. There has been no official statement about how long he will remain as acting oil minister. Al-Shamali has a bachelor’s degree in commerce and administrative studies from Ain Shams University in Egypt.

Contact Tel: (+965) 2 248 0000

Hosnia Hashim

Position: Deputy managing director (North Kuwait), KOC

Biography: Hosnia Hashim is one of the most prominent women in Kuwait’s oil industry and has been an active player in the hydrocarbons sector for the past 31 years. She started her career at KOC in 1982 as a production engineer. She has worked in several departments at KOC, particularly in reservoir management, moving through the ranks from project engineer to manager. As the head of KOC’s northern operations, Hashim has led pioneering work in waterflood and facilities expansion as part of Kuwait’s field development plans. She holds a number of other key positions, including being a board member at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) and Kuwait Drilling Company. Hashim graduated from Kuwait University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1982.

Contact Tel: (+965) 2 398 3661

Bakheet al-Rashidi

Position: Managing director, Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI)

Biography: Bakheet al-Rashidi has been working in Kuwait’s oil and gas industry for the past 31 years, with about 26 of those spent in the downstream sector. Prior to being appointed to his current role in late May, he was deputy managing director of KNPC. It was this experience that got him a promotion to KPI, the firm responsible for the global marketing of Kuwait’s fuel, lubricants and other refined derivatives of oil. Al-Rashidi started his career as an engineer at KNPC, but was soon heading several departments within the firm, including operational planning, technical services and corporate planning. As well as being involved in downstream production of more than 900,000 barrels a day (b/d) of refined goods, KNPC also handles gas processing trains and Kuwait’s regasification terminal. He has a degree in chemical engineering from Alexandria University in Egypt.

Contact Tel: (+965) 2 233 2800

Mohammed Ghazi al-Mutairi

Position: Managing director, KNPC

Biography: Mohammed Ghazi al-Mutairi started his career as an engineer in the operations department of KNPC in 1987 and was appointed to his current role in May. In his time at KNPC, he has worked on several large downstream projects. He was appointed as the operations manager for the 270,000 b/d Mina al-Ahmadi refinery in 2002. He was promoted to deputy managing director of KNPC in 2007. He also sits on the board of directors of Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Company, which focuses on the production of ammonia and nitrogen-based fertilisers. KNPC has more than $30bn-worth of refining projects planned in Kuwait, including the construction of a new refinery and upgrade of existing facilities and it will be Al-Mutairi’s responsibility to oversee them. Al-Mutairi has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kuwait.

Contact Tel: (+965) 2 398 9900

Nawaf al-Sabah

Position: Managing director, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KFPEC)

Biography: With a background in legal affairs, Nawaf al-Sabah has been working in the Kuwait oil sector for 14 years. Prior to joining KPC’s legal department as a senior counsel in 1999, he worked as a corporate transactions lawyer for Los Angeles-based Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. In 2002-04, he headed KPC’s Washington DC office and was responsible for the business development of Kuwait’s downstream industry, as well as policy analysis of energy security. He was then appointed deputy managing director and general counsel for KPC. This involved him taking an active role across all of the group’s strategic operations. In his current job, he replaces Nizar al-Adsani, who was promoted to CEO of KPC. Al-Sabah has a degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University, and a degree in law from Harvard Law School, both in the US.

Contact Tel: (+965) 1 836 000

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