Van Oord successfully executed the impressive ground improvement project for client Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). The project, which started in 2014, involved the reclamation of 65 million cubic metres of sand and extensive soil improvement. The reclamation area of 1,320 ha is intended for one of the largest oil refining plants in the Middle East, the company said in its press release.
Upon completion the Al-Zour Refinery will produce 615,000 barrels per day and has a strategic goal of supplying low-sulphur fuel. The refinery will be constructed on the reclaimed land in a ‘sabkha area’, a salt plain near the coast, 30 kilometres north of the Saudi border. The reclamation project, executed by Van Oord, was the first phase of KNPC’s investment programme for this new refinery.
Van Oord continues to work for KNPC in Kuwait. This project comprises land reclamation for the construction of a port and the first phase of a LNG import facility.