AHMADI REFINERY FIRE DUE TO PIPE EROSION - BAQER KUWAIT, OCT 10 (KUNA) -- HEAD OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, AHMAD BAQER, SAID SATURDAY THAT THE FIRE THAT BROKE OUT AT ALAHMADI REFINERY LAST JUNE WAS DUE TO THE EROSION OF A GAS PIPE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF ACIDIC SOLUTION INSIDE.
HE TOLD NEWSMEN AFTER THE COMMITTEE MEETING THAT DISCUSSED THE OIL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COUNTRY'S REFINERIES, IN THE PRESENCE OF SHUAIBA AND AHMADI REFINERY DIRECTORS HUSSEIN ISMAIL AND HAMZA BAKHSH, THAT THE COMMITTEE RECEIVED THE REPORT OF THE KUWAIT INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE GAS PIPE, THAT REFERRED TO THE EROSION OF THE LOWER PARTS OF THE PIPE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE ACIDIC SOLUTION.
HE SAID THAT THE OIL SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES SUBMITTED A REPORT ON THE SAFETY PROCEDURES IN ALL REFINERIES OF THE COUNTRY AND UNDERLINED THAT 70 PERCENT OF THE RISKY GAS PIPE LINES WERE TESTED.
BAQER ADDED THAT 50 PERCENT OF THE SHUAIBA PORT PIPELINES WERE TESTED AND THE REMAINING TESTS WOULD BE FINALISED BY THE END OF APRIL.
HE SAID WORLD SPECIALISED COMPANIES EXTENDED ASSISTANCE TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND PROTECTION PROCEDURES AT THE KNPC REFINERIES, NOTING THAT A NUMBER OF OIL PRODUCTION AND REFINING UNITS AT THE AHMADI AND SHUAIBA REFINERIES WERE OPERATED.
HE SAID THAT THE GAS AND OIL UNITS AT THE AHMADI REFINERY WERE OPERATED SINCE TWO MONTHS AND THE REMAINING AHMADI REFINERY UNITS WILL STASRT OPERATING IN A FEW WEEKS.
HE SAID THAT THE REFINING PROCESS AT MINA ABDALLAH IS PROGRESSING NORMALLY AND PRODUCING 265,000 BARRELS PER DAY, NOTING THAT THE TRASNSFORM UNIT PRODUCTION HAS BEEN CUT TO HALF.
HE CONCLUDED THAT A HIGH COMMITTEE IS MONITORING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASSEMBLY'S HEALTH AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE ON OIL REFINERIES. (END) MS.AA.MM. KUNA 072118 Oct 00NNNN