Fire breaks out at Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, injuries reported

A fire broke out at Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery on Monday, with some of the workers injured, Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) confirmed.

Taking to Twitter, the state-owned oil company said that the fire broke out in the residual oil desulfurisation unit (ARDS) at the refinery.

“ARD Unit No. 42 and all lines leading to it have been isolated,” it said.

The fire was brought under control, KNPC confirmed at 12.25pm. No casualties were reported.

تعلن شركة #البترول_الوطنية الكويتية أنها تمكنت من السيطرة الكاملة على الحريق الذي اندلع صباح اليوم في وحدة إزالة الكبريت من النفط المتبقي رقم 42 بمصفاة ميناء الأحمدي التابعة للشركة.

— البترول الوطنية | KNPC (@KNPCofficial) October 18, 2021

استضافة تلفزيون الكويت لنائب الرئيس التنفيذي للخدمات المساندة عبدالعزيز الدعيج بعد السيطرة على الحريقpic.twitter.com/0v5UasUyTL

— البترول الوطنية | KNPC (@KNPCofficial) October 18, 2021

KNPC also stated that some injuries were reported among workers on site.

“A number of minor injuries and cases of suffocation occurred among the contractor’s workers as a result of inhalation of fumes. First aid was provided to the injured on the site and all of them are in a good condition. Other injured workers were transferred to Al-Adan Hospital and their condition is stable,” it said.

The company later confirmed that the three workers who were admitted to the hospital for minor injuries were discharged.

KNPC also confirmed that the “refinery and export operations were not affected”, and that the local marketing and supply operations of the Ministry of Electricity and Water were not impacted by the fire.

تواجد وزير النفط الدكتور محمد الفارس والرئيس التنفيذي لمؤسسة البترول الكويتية هاشم هاشم والرئيس التنفيذي للبترول الوطنية وليد البدر وبقية مسؤولي الشركة في موقع الحريق بمجرد الإبلاغ عنه، وذلك لمتابعة تطوراته ميدانياً، والاطمئنان على العاملين. pic.twitter.com/Nc3OId7Jq0

— البترول الوطنية | KNPC (@KNPCofficial) October 18, 2021

Images shared on social media showed a massive explosion at the refinery.

Koweït : On signale un Incendie qui se serait déclenché dans une raffinerie de pétrole et qui aurait fait plusieurs blessés. pic.twitter.com/NsR4RZyuCz

— Rebecca Rambar (@RebeccaRambar) October 18, 2021

Built in 1949, the Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery is located in South Kuwait and started production with the capacity of 25,000 barrels per day.

Last month, KNPC said it had started working on a project to expand refining capacity at the refinery to 346,000 bpd.