The three engineering, procurement and construction contracts totaling $12bn were provisionally awarded to three separate consortia. A consortium led by Japan’s JGC was awarded the upgrade of the 466,000 b/d Mina al-Ahmadi refinery, while the upgrade of the 270,000 b/d Mina ‘Abd Allah refinery was awarded to consortia led by Britain’s Petrofac and US firm Fluor (see table and MEES, 14 February).
The awards are a major step forward for Kuwait’s stagnant oil and gas industry. How was a multi-billion dollar project able to clear the political and bureaucratic hurdles that have long burdened the country’s oil and gas sector? (CONTINUED - 1031 WORDS)
