KNPC

When it was established in 1960, KNPC was the only and first national company in a region where hydrocarbon resources were managed and exploited by foreign companies. The owners vision was a stimulating development and provided an exemplary experience in handling national resources. In its perspective KNPC came as a model for the indigenous potential to undertake management and exploitation of the oil resources which started to develop into a colossal source of income capable of sustaining the society welfare and financing its overall development.

In 1975 the State acquired full ownership of KNPC. KNPC’s operations were highly integrated mainly relying upon its oil refinery in Shuaiba and the marketing of petroleum products from Al-Ahmadi Refinery, run at the time by Kuwait Oil Company KOC- in both local and international markets. As a matter of fact KNPC at that time was maintaining an efficient presence in Europe, the Far East and United States of America to handle the marketing of petroleum products from the Kuwait refineries.

In 1980 Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) was established as the state owned asset and all other oil companies in Kuwait, including KNPC, became KPC subsidiaries. In collaboration with KPC the company embarked on studies and plans to modernize refining industry in Kuwait with a multi billion dollar projects to revamp Mina Al-Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah Refineries.

On the domestic scene KNPC continued to build new filling stations in order to add more outlets for products marketing and to respond to the growing demand for gasoline and other fuels. However, KPC and KNPC put into effect the trend towards privatization and started in 2004 to transfer its Local Marketing assets, such as the lube oil plant and the petrol stations, to private companies.

In the meantime the company gave special attention to its human resource by implementing a policy of steady growth of the national manpower and providing the company sites with highly qualified human resources. By the year 2009 the percentage of Kuwaitis in the total manpower was around 79.5% from the company labour force which totaled 5235 employees.