DUBAI: Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has awarded Italian engineering firm Saipem a $850 million (SR3.18 billion) contract to build pipelines for the new Al Zour refinery.
The contract will involve the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the pipeline located south of the country, Saipem said in a statement, where Kuwait is building a huge oil complex that includes a 615,000-barrel-per-day refinery.
The pipelines will be approximately 450 kilometers long and will be used to transport crude oil from KOC’s South Tank Farm manifolds to the new refinery, Saipe said. A new pipeline network will also constructed to deliver refined fuel to a storage area at the Mina Al Ahmadi refinery, which will be used to feed the northern power station.
“We welcome with particular satisfaction this new contract from such an important client as KOC, both because it marks a new milestone for the company in the onshore E&C sector and, above all, because it reinforces and consolidates Saipem’s presence in Kuwait, a country where we have been operating for over 30 years,” Stefano Cao, the chief executive of Saipem, said in the statement.
The Al Zour refinery is being built through five separate packages with the first one is being delivered by a joint venture between Techinicas, Hanwha and Sinopec. The second and third packages are being built by Fluor, Daewoo and Hyundai Heavy Industries; the fourth is being delivered by Saipem and Essar Oil while the fifth by Saipem, Hyundai Engineering and SK Holdings.
Saipem wins $850 million pipeline contract for Kuwait’s Al Zour refinery
Saipem wins $850 million pipeline contract for Kuwait’s Al Zour refinery
Saudi Arabia opens 3rd round of Exploration Empowerment Program
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, has opened applications for the third round of the Exploration Empowerment Program, part of ongoing efforts to accelerate mineral exploration in the Kingdom, reduce early-stage investment risks, and attract high-quality investment from local and international mining companies.
The third round of the Exploration Empowerment Program offers a comprehensive support package targeting exploration companies and mineral prospecting license holders.
The initiative aims to lower investment risks for projects and support a faster transition from prospecting to development.
"The program provides coverage of up to 70 percent of the total salaries of Saudi technical staff, such as geologists, during the first two years, increasing to 100 percent thereafter, in line with program requirements.
This support aims to develop talent, build national capabilities in mineral exploration, promote job localization, and facilitate the transfer of geological knowledge.
The application for the third round opened on Jan. 14, allowing participants to benefit from the Kingdom’s attractive investment environment, its stable legal framework, and streamlined regulatory structures, as well as integrated infrastructure that supports the transition from mineral resources to operational mines.
The ministry has set the timeline for the third round, with the application period running from Jan. 14 to March 31.
This will be followed by the evaluation, approval, and signing of agreements from April 1 to May 31, with the eligible projects set to be announced between June 1 and July 31 of the same year.
The program stages include submitting exploration data during the reimbursement and payment phase from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, followed by technical and financial verification of work programs and approval of the disbursement of support funds in January 2027.
The exploration data will then be published on the National Geological Database in April 2027.
The ministry emphasized that the EEP focuses on supporting the exploration of strategically important minerals with national priority. It also contributes to enhancing geological knowledge by providing up-to-date data that meets international standards, helping investors make informed decisions and supporting the growth of national companies and local supply chains.
The ministry urged companies to apply early to benefit from the program’s third round, which coincided with the fifth edition of the International Mining Conference, which was held from Jan. 13 to 15.
