The Ahmadi Refinery

KUWAIT: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) said yesterday the closure of some units at Al-Ahmadi refinery is a normal procedure owing to regular maintenance or integration into a biofuel venture executed at the refinery as well as Mina Abdullah port.

The company said in a press release that online reports about the closure of operating units at the refiner under the exceptional circumstances experienced by the oil sector are "totally untrue." It added that some units could be closed "if necessary, and as part of an emergency plan."

In other news, the 'Latest Advancements in Refining and Petrochemical Industries Conference' is scheduled to kick off in Manama, Bahrain today, under sponsorship of Bahraini Minister of Energy Dr Abdulhussein Bin Ali Mirza, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) yesterday.

The conference is co-organized by OAPEC, Japan Cooperation Center Petroleum (JCCP) and National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, OAPEC Secretary General Abbas Naqi confirmed, adding that it would comprise experts in oil and petrochemical industries and refining from OAPEC's member states and some Arab companies in the fields.

It will focus on latest advanced technologies and optimization of solutions in the downstream industry. The conference will also include a review of the current and future outlook of the refining and petrochemical industries, as well as case studies of major upgrading projects from across the world.

Naqi added that deliberations during the gathering will address latest technologies and innovations for the petroleum industries' development, current and future challenges, plans for hiking earnings, rationing programs, upgrading installations' capacity, cutting expenditures, environmental safety management, development and expansion of installations. Delegations will be invited for a site visit to Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) refinery and the Gulf Petrochemical Industries (GPIC). - KUNA