Ranked 8th with 615,000 bpd refining capacity

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 18: Kuwait’s Al-Zour Refinery, which began operations in 2022, has been ranked eighth globally among the top 10 oil refineries, with a refining capacity of 615,000 barrels per day. With this capacity, Al-Zour Refinery accounts for 8.54 percent of the total refining output from the world’s ten largest refineries, which collectively process 7.197 million barrels of crude oil per day.

According to a report by Global Data, which was based on a report issued by Offshore Technology, Al- Zour Refinery, owned by Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC), is the only refinery from the Gulf and Arab regions to make the list of the top ten refineries worldwide. The refinery received a score of 7.1 on the net refining index and was designed to process heavy crude oil and produce a range of high-value derivatives.

The report highlighted that the operation of Al-Zour Refinery greatly boosts Kuwait’s refining capacity, putting the country in a position to better serve both regional and global markets. It noted that the global oil industry is a vast and complex network, and it plays a crucial role in supporting economies and industries worldwide. With 825 active refineries currently in operation, the refining sector is expected to experience significant growth. Crude distillation unit (CDU) capacity, which is a key measure of a refinery’s refining capability, is projected to increase by 15 percent between 2023 and 2027.

According to the GlobalData refinery database compiled by Offshore Technology in 2022, the United States led in crude distillation unit capacity, followed closely by China and Russia.

The top ten active oil refineries worldwide by crude distillation unit capacity in 2022 are as follows:
1. Venezuela’s Paraguana Refinery, with a capacity of 955,000 barrels per day. Established in 1949, this cracking facility processes heavy crude oil into valuable products. Despite its age, the Paraguana Refinery remains a crucial asset for Venezuela’s oil exports.
2. Ulsan Refinery in South Korea, with a refining capacity of 840,000 barrels per day, was established in 1964.
3. Ruwais Refinery in the United Arab Emirates, with a capacity of 800,000 barrels per day, was established in 1969.
4. Daoshan Island Refinery in China, with a refining capacity of 800,000 barrels per day, was established in 2019.
5. Jamnagar Refinery II in India, with a capacity of 707,000 barrels per day, built-in 2008.
6. Jamnagar Refinery I in India, with a capacity of 660,000 barrels per day, started operating in 1999.
7. Port Arthur Refinery II in the United States, with a capacity of 635,000 barrels per day, built-in 1903.
8. Al-Zour Refinery in Kuwait, with a capacity of 615,000 barrels per day, fully operational in 2022.
9. Texas City Refinery III in the United States, with a capacity of 593,000 barrels per day, built-in 1934.
10. Gurun Island Refinery I in Singapore, with a capacity of 592,000 barrels per day, built-in 1966.