Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery attacked

23 March 2026
Several units were shut down at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery on 20 March

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Several units were shut down at Kuwait’s largest oil refinery after it was hit by drones as Iran targeted energy infrastructure across the Gulf, according to a statement from state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

Fires broke out across multiple units at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery in the morning of 20 March 2026 following the attack.

The refinery normally processes about 730,000 barrels of oil a day.

There were no casualties as a result of the attack, according to KPC.

Kuwait’s oil and gas sector has been severely disrupted by the ongoing regional conflict.

On 10 March, MEED revealed that the state-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) was operating with just 30% of its total workforce in their normal workplaces.

Earlier in the month, KPC also declared force majeure due to difficulties transporting oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz caused by the conflict.

Force majeure, a French term meaning “superior force”, is a clause included in many international commercial contracts. It allows companies to suspend contractual obligations when extraordinary events occur beyond their control.

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