Kuwait expects to issue tenders next April as part of its long-awaited clean fuels project, an executive from state-oil refiner Kuwait National Petroleum Co (KNPC) said.

The project would involve building at least 30 units at Mina Abdulla and Mina Al-Ahmadi refineries and would produce 10 parts per million (ppm) of low sulphur diesel and Euro IV gasoline, as well as other products, Abdullah Fahhad Al-Ajmi told Reuters on the sidelines of an industry conference in Manama.

"We are getting prepared to launch the bids in the first quarter...in April if we get the final approval from the Supreme Petroleum Council," Al-Ajmi said.

Following the upgrade, the refining capacity of Mina Al-Ahmadi would drop to 346,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 466,000 bpd now, while the capacity of Mina Abdulla would be 454,000 bpd from 270,000 bpd, he said.

The Opec member has said it plans to increase its refining capacity to 1.4 million bpd up from 936,000 bpd.

A long stand-off between Kuwait's parliament and government has delayed a number of energy projects, including the $15 billion Al-Zour refinery. - Reuters