Kuwait's state-owned refiner KNPC said a fire broke out a "short while ago" at its 346,000 b/d Mina al-Ahmadi refinery.
The fire started during routine maintenance at the No.32 gas liquefaction unit at the refinery. The company has activated an emergency plan, and firefighters are dealing with the blaze. Production and export operations have not been affected, KNPC said, given that the unit was out of service when the fire broke out.
The refinery is expected to ramp up to a sulphur production capacity of 1.15mn t/yr this year, with the Mina al-Ahmadi port being the main sulphur export hub for the country.
Argus expects Kuwait's sulphur exports to double to 1.2mn t in 2022, after full operations began at KNPC's Clean Fuels Project in September last year.
