8 major capital projects launched to develop Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries

• Kuwait has initiated eight significant capital projects aimed at enhancing refining capacities at the Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries.

• These projects are part of the country’s broader strategy to modernize its oil sector, improve operational efficiency, and meet increasing global demand for refined petroleum products.

As a strategy to enhance refining capabilities and improve returns from high-quality refined petroleum products, Kuwait continues to work on implementing a group of capital projects to develop the Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries.

The long-term strategic plan of the National Petroleum Company until 2040, reflects the vision and directions of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation aimed at fulfilling its obligations towards global markets, in addition to meeting the needs of the local market for energy with high-quality and environmentally friendly products.

To give an impetus to this vision, group of future projects will be implemented in the next phase, which includes:

• The most important of which is the establishment of a fuel depot for local marketing in the Mutlaa area.
• Completion of the construction of 100 new fuel stations in various regions of Kuwait.
• Establishment of the new northern oil berth at the Ahmadi Port Refinery.
• New southern facility of the Shuaiba oil berth.
• Rehabilitation of the current unit for treating acid gases at the Ahmadi Port Refinery.
  On the other hand, following is a review of the most important capital development projects:

1- Developing Coking Unit No. 20 at Mina Abdullah Refinery:

The project aims to modernize and develop Coking Unit No. 20 (lines one and two) at Mina Abdullah Refinery to maintain the continuity of the operating rate of 40 thousand barrels per day for each line, by removing the restrictions that hinder the continued operation of the unit at this rate.

The scope of the project includes comprehensive modifications to develop the main equipment such as furnaces, the fractionation tower, the gas compressor, furnace feed pumps and several other pumps.

2- Project to restore and strengthen the oil berth at Shuaiba Port:

This project is being implemented based on the company’s long-term plan to restore and improve the oil berth in Shuaiba, after completing some urgent repairs to the berth based on the initial report submitted by a specialized consultant.

The scope of the project includes strengthening and restoring the main bridge of the berth, so that the operational life of the bridge is extended for 20-25 years, with appropriate and periodic maintenance operations.

3- Project to establish a warehouse for petroleum products in Al-Mutlaa area:

The project aims to build a new warehouse in Al-Mutlaa, north of Kuwait, to provide maximum strategic storage capacity in implementation of the recommendations of the study of strategic demand for products in the local market with the aim of meeting the increasing demand for petroleum products until 2045.

The new warehouse includes 11 new tanks (7 tanks for gasoline and 4 for diesel), 10 pumps and 24 loading arms.

4- Building 100 new fuel filling stations:

Kuwait has developed a strategic plan to build 100 new fuel filling stations to keep pace with urban and population expansion in all regions of the country.

The implementation of this plan has been divided into 5 groups:

FIRST GROUP – which included 18 stations, has been implemented so far.
SECOND GROUP – includes the establishment of 15 new fuel stations as follows:

Phase 1: includes establishment of 3 stations, and implementation of this project has begun.
Phase 2: includes establishment of 3 stations, and the initial engineering designs have been re-studied and government approvals have been obtained due to modifications being made to the entrance and exit locations of these stations.
Phase 3: includes establishment of two stations, and the initial engineering designs have been completed, and work is currently underway to obtain government approvals.
Phase 4: includes establishment of 7 stations, where the initial engineering designs will be re-studied and government approvals will be obtained due to modifications being made to the locations of the stations.

THIRD GROUP – includes the construction of 25 stations as follows:
Phase 1: includes construction of 3 stations, as approval was obtained within the company’s capital budget for the fiscal year 2025/2024, and in February 2024, the project implementation tender was issued.
Phase 2: includes construction of 10 stations, and it is planned to obtain the necessary approvals to implement the project within the company’s capital budget for the fiscal year 2025/2026.
Phase 3: includes construction of 12 stations, as it is planned to obtain the necessary approvals to implement the project at a later stage according to need and urban expansion.

FOURTH GROUP – includes the construction of 16 stations, as this group will be implemented in 3-stages as follows:

Phase 1: includes construction of a station in Al-Mutlaa, and preparations are currently underway to begin the feasibility study.
Phase 2: includes construction of 7 stations, and the initial engineering designs have been completed, and government approvals are currently being obtained.
Phase 3: includes the construction of 8 stations.

FIFTH GROUP – includes the construction of 26 stations.

5- Replacing the old substations at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery:

The project aims to replace the old substations at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery, which number 9 stations, with new ones with larger electrical capacity and high-quality technology systems within new explosion-resistant buildings, and to raise the level of safety and operational efficiency of the electrical stations.

The implementation of this project began in May 2024 after signing the implementation contract, and it is expected that all stations will be completed in September 2027.

6- Rehabilitation project for the current acid gas treatment unit at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery:

The project aims to rehabilitate the current unit at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery, to be able to process all quantities of acid gases expected to be produced by the Kuwait Oil Company, and then send them to the liquefied gas processing units at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery to convert them into gases with an economic return.

The project is expected to be completed in September 2025.

7- Project to build a new southern facility for the oil pier (Shuaiba):

The scope of the project includes demolishing the current northern facility and replacing it with a new southern facility with an operational life 50 years, according to the latest specifications and modern technology, where the new southern facility will be built as a new integrated facility including the marine structure and above-deck equipment, at a distance of 550 meters from the current southern facility.

8- Special study for the construction of a new northern oil pier for Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery:

This project is being implemented as a replacement for the current oil pier of Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery, which was built in 1959 and serves as one of the main stations for exporting crude oil and petroleum products.

The current pier has undergone several evaluation studies, rehabilitation and modification works, after which it was decided to implement a new project to carry out necessary repairs that will enhance the safety of the pier and extend its operational life until 2030.