Fire breaks out at Kuwait Oil Company’s Al Shuala facility, injuring 14 workers

December 5, 2023

In a concerning development, a fire erupted at an onshore oil line at Kuwait Oil Company’s (KOC) Al Shuala facility, resulting in injuries to 14 workers.

This incident marks the second major fire event at Kuwaiti oil and gas facilities in recent months, raising questions about safety standards in the sector.

The fire occurred during scheduled maintenance at the Al Shuala line near Assembly Centre No 1, located in the southeast of Kuwait. KOC confirmed the incident on social media, stating, “A limited fire broke out in the torch line during maintenance work carried out by the contractor’s employees.” The company emphasised that the injured workers, all employed by the contractor, were promptly transferred to specialised hospitals for necessary medical care.

The Arab Times reported the number of injured workers as 14, highlighting the severity of the incident. In response to the fire, KOC announced that the assembly center is now under complete isolation. They assured that the situation was swiftly brought under control, with no impact on production operations.

This incident follows a similar event in July when a fire occurred at Kuwait’s Al-Zour refinery. That fire was managed by the Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) without any reported injuries.

These repeated incidents bring to light the challenges faced in maintaining safety in oil and gas facilities and underscore the need for rigorous safety protocols to protect workers and infrastructure. The KOC has yet to release a detailed report on the cause of the fire and the measures to be taken to prevent future occurrences.