State-owned downstream operator Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) is seeking to increase the profitability of its refineries in the wake of the collapse in oil prices seen over the second half of 2014.

“KNPC’s main vision is to maximise the value of Kuwait’s hydrocarbons… and I believe that the profitability of refining… can be improved by refinery and petrochemical integration,” said Nawal Badou, team leader of operational planning at KNPC, speaking at an energy industry conference in Abu Dhabi.

KNPC is yet to decide on whether to integrate a petrochemical facility into its planned Al-Zour New Refinery Project, which is due to see engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts awarded this year.

The US consultancy KBC Advanced Technologies is currently carrying out a study looking at the feasibility of integrating the planned refinery with a petrochemical facility.

The study is due to be completed in three or four months.

KNPC says it is also looking to strategies previously used during times of shrinking refining margins in order to improve profitability. These include a company-wide efficiency drive and an overhauled daily operational plan, which was published earlier this year.