Facility overview

The Shuaiba refinery is located within the Shuaiba Industrial Area, some 50 kilometres south of Kuwait City. The refinery was officially commissioned in April 1968 and the first shipment was exported to Japan. Its initial capacity was 95,000 barrels a day (b/d). In 1975, an expansion increased capacity to 180,000 b/d. The refinery suffered considerable damage during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

It was out of operation until October 1993, when repair works were completed and operations were resumed with a capacity of 155,000 b/d. The refinery’s process units were constructed by incorporating the latest available technological designs.

The refinery produces light, medium and heavy petroleum products, mainly gas, naphtha and various kinds of fuels such as high-octane gasoline, kerosene and aviation kerosene, diesel, marine diesel, fuel oil and sulphur. When it was established, Shuaiba was Kuwait’s first export refinery due to its high quality products, which conformed to stringent global specifications.

Shutdowns

The Shuaiba refinery undergoes a shutdown once every five years. It was last shut down for 45 days in 2011, from 3 April to 17 May. The company has planned a scheduled maintenance outage in May 2016 for about 60 days. The local Integral Services Company handled the mechanical repair activities. About 1,500 skilled workmen were hired for the entire shutdown, mobilisation of all scaffolding materials, consumables, tools, equipment and cranes.

Procurement policies

KNPC uses an open prequalification and bidding process, whereby a maintenance contract tender is issued. The company with the lowest bid is appointed as the maintenance contractor.