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Fire erupts at Kuwait oil refinery; minor injuries reported

October 18, 2021
A fire erupted on Monday at a major oil refinery in Kuwait, the state-owned oil company said, reporting that some workers suffered from smoke inhalation and other light injuries.
A fire erupted on Monday at a major oil refinery in Kuwait, the state-owned oil company said, reporting that some workers suffered from smoke inhalation and other light injuries.

KUWAIT CITY — A fire erupted on Monday at a major oil refinery in Kuwait, the state-owned oil company said, reporting that some workers suffered from smoke inhalation and other light injuries.

A fire at Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery on Monday injured several workers but operations were unaffected, Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) said.

The blaze at the key oil refinery along Kuwait’s Arab Gulf coastline north of its border with Saudi Arabia did not affect the electrical supply or oil exports.

The atmospheric residue desulfurization (ARDS) unit where the fire broke out was isolated and the fire has been fully brought under control, the state refiner said.

A number of workers employed by a contractor suffered minor injuries and smoke inhalation, KNPC said. Some were treated on site while others were taken to hospital and are in stable condition, it said.

"The refinery operations and export operations were not affected and there has been no impact to local marketing operations and supplies to the electricity and water ministry," KNPC said on its Twitter account.

Last month, KNPC said it started full operation of a project to expand refining capacity and produce fuel that generates lower emissions, including expanding capacity at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery to 346,000 barrels per day.

The refinery was built to handle 25,000 barrels of oil a day to supply Kuwait’s domestic market primarily with gasoline and diesel and recently underwent an expansion to reduce its emissions and boost capacity.

Residents in Kuwait’s coastal Fahaheel district reported hearing a large explosion and shared footage on social media of thick, black smoke billowing over the highway. The nation has the world’s sixth-largest known oil reserves. — Agencies


October 18, 2021
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