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Fire erupts at Kuwait petroleum site, forces suspensions of exports

A week ago, a deadly fire erupted during maintenance work at a major oil refinery run by the same company, killing two Asian workers

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A fire broke out early Friday at a site belonging to the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, forcing a suspension of export operations there, the company said in a statement.

The fire in the Shuaiba Industrial Area in eastern Kuwait did not result in any injuries, according to a brief statement issued by the company. The fire occurred at a petroleum coke flowline. The coal-like substance is a byproduct of refined crude oil that is used in the steel and aluminum industry.

Only a week ago, a deadly fire erupted during maintenance work at a major oil refinery run by the same company, killing two Asian workers. Another 10 were wounded, five of them critically. An earlier fire erupted at that same oil refinery three months prior, resulting in several injuries.

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After last week’s deadly blaze, the CEO of the state-owned petroleum company, Waleed al-Bader, issued a statement in which he said that such incidents, while “very painful for us,” are “very likely in a complex industry.” He said the company is striving to reduce such incidents and conducting periodic reviews of procedures in place.

Kuwait, a nation home to 4.1 million people, has the world’s sixth-largest known oil reserves.

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