End of 2013 Middle East downstream news

Kuwait

On 31^st December. 2013 Honeywell announced that it has been selected by Kuwait national Petroleum Company (KNPC) to provide the Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) for its new 615 000 bpd Al Zour refinery complex to be built in southern Kuwait. Honeywell will additionally provide the front end engineering design (FEED) for the system.

This will be Kuwait’s fourth refinery and the largest refinery in the Middle East. The new refinery is targeted for start up in 2018.

Oman

The Sohar refinery is to undergo a short temporary maintenance shutdown due to an emergency situation in the sour water stripper.

The maintenance team considered different ways and alternatives to carry out the maintenance without the need to interrupt the refinery operations. However, these options could have an adverse impact on the environment as well as the safety of employees.

Pakistan

The largest oil refinery unit in Pakistan is to come online shortly. The design capacity of this unit is 120 000 bpd and the additional capacity will enable PSO and the Government to reduce imports of premium motor gasoline (PMG) by 1.55, high speed diesel (HSD) by 25% and fuel oil by 10%.

There will still be some need to import products however, as the country is growing and the market is expanding. Despite this, the country’s import bill for fuels will be reduced.

Qatar

Qatar Petroleum (QP) is planning to raise 3.2 billion riyals (US$ 879 million) in the initial public offering of a new petrochemicals subsidiary.

QP started selling a 26% stake in Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding Co. on the Qatar Exchange on 31^st December 2013.

Also in Qatar, the Laffan refinery’s diesel hydrotreater (DHT) project recently celebrated 3 million man hours without a lost time injury.

Salman Ashkanani, Refinery Ventures chief operating officer said: ‘This is the third time on the project we have celebrated a major safety milestone and on the evidence that I have seen within the teams, I look forward to maintaining this excellent standard through to the completion of the work’.

Libya

Libya is stepping up its fuel imports as a mix of militias, tribesmen and civil servants demanding political rights have occupied several oilfields and ports, cutting exports to 110 000 bpd from over 1 million bpd.

The country has struggled to keep the 120 000 bpd refinery in Zaiwiya operating since protesters closed the El Sharara oilfield that feeds it in October. The Zaiwiya refinery is currently running at half capacity due to crude shortages.

Edited from various sources by Emma McAleavey.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/03012014/middle_east_downstream_news08/