Dubai: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) said yesterday it had shut some units at its Al Ahmadi refinery for routine maintenance and dismissed reports that the closures were related to a planned strike by oil workers.
KNPC, one of Kuwait’s state oil companies, said in a statement that the closures were planned in advance as part of a clean fuels project being implemented at the Mina Al Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refineries.
It added that it may close one or more of the total 52 units at Al Ahmadi if necessary.
Oil workers at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, of which KNPC is a subsidiary, have said they will go ahead with a strike starting today after rejecting the company’s offer to suspend the implementation of public sector pay reforms.
Acting Oil Minister Anas Al Saleh urged the unions to refrain from actions that could damage the Kuwaiti oil sector.