KBC wins consulting contracts to improve margins at Middle East refineries

KBC Advanced Technologies was awarded a three-year, $8.5-million consulting contract to assist a major Middle Eastern client with margin improvement and workforce capability development across three refineries, officials announced on Friday.

The award, which was subject to competitive bidding, includes a provision for a further $2.4 million of optional services.

In the late 1990s, KBC conducted profit improvement programs for this client with significant benefits identified and agreed to. KBC says it is pleased to be asked to return, this time with more sophisticated tools and a wider portfolio of capabilities. 

This award is in addition to KBC's current consulting engagement in the country, which is to assess the feasibility of investing in a new petrochemical complex.

“KBC is pleased to be awarded this prestigious contract that will strengthen our excellent relationship with this client and reflects our recent enhanced focus on the region," said Kevin Smith, KBC’s chief commercial officer.

"Despite the current uncertainty in the oil markets, many of our clients continue to invest in the downstream oil sector and we look forward to helping them extract the best value from their downstream operations," he added.