KUWAIT: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) announced yesterday launching fifth liquified gas line at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery, the company's second largest project after the clean fuel project. The company's CEO Waleed Al-Bader stated that the pipeline reinforces the company's production of liquified gas, adding to it around 805 million square feet of gas and 106,000 barrels of condensates, marking a 30 percent increase in production.

KNPC CEO Waleed Al-Bader

Bader explained that the fifth line reflects the company's objectives of expanding profitable derivatives that correspond to global markets, indicating that gas derivatives are considered the company's best products in terms of being eco-friendly and very profitable, adding that the project provides work opportunities for national cadres.

Chairman of Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery Shujaa Al-Ajmi elucidated that the project works on treating natural gas extracted from oil wells, as well as producing gases of methane, ethane, propane, butane, and natural gasoline. Ajmi added that the project includes a secondary unit that produces clean fuel gas, bolstering safety levels. Furthermore, Ajmi spoke of the challenges the coronavirus pandemic proposed saying that the project was operated successfully despite delays in equipment importing and difficulties in providing specialized technicians.

Meanwhile, acting chairman Ghanim Al-Otaibi commented that this large-scale project required, at one point, 6,900 workers on site, and working hours from the beginning of the project to the end reached 57 million working hours, affirming that there were no dangerous accidents as safety measures were observed. Otaibi also affirmed the keenness of the company on incorporating local businesses in the project, as the private sector's share comprised 20 percent of the project's cost, adding that local companies also participated in importing equipment and constructions. - KUNA