Date/Time
Date(s) - 22 December 2009
12:00 am

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Kuwait – December 22 – 2009 — EQUATE Petrochemical Company officially announced on Tuesday December 22, 2009, the beginning of commercial operations of Kuwait Paraxylene Production Company’s (KPPC) Aromatics Complex.

Producing Paraxylene (PX) and Benzene (BZ), KPPC’s state-of-the-art USD 2-billion complex is located in Kuwait’s Shuaiba Industrial Area. The current capacities are 829,000 metric tons annually (MTA) of PX and 393,000 MTA of BZ.

Commenting on this achievement, KPPC’s Chairman & CEO Mahmoud Al-Qattan said “This is a major milestone for KPPC’s customers, shareholders and the entire energy sector as it brings for the first time new major aromatic petrochemical facilities in Kuwait.”

Al-Qattan extended heartfelt appreciation to “Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) that managed such a sophisticated project during a challenging business environment, in addition to EQUATE and Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) for the facility’s safe commissioning and start-up.”

The complex’s PX output will be marketed by PIC in selected markets, while the BZ will be used locally for the production of Styrene Monomer (SM) by The Kuwait Styrene Company (TKSC).

KPPC is wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Aromatics Company (KARO), which is a joint venture between PIC and KNPC with each holding 40%, while Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC) holds the remaining 20%.

EQUATE Petrochemical Company is the single operator of Greater EQUATE, which includes KPPC, TKSC and The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC).