KUWAIT CITY: The Kuwait National Petroleum Company on Tuesday signed contracts worth $13.2 billion (11.6 billion euros) with international firms to build a refinery said to be the Gulf state’s largest development project. The deal comes as Kuwait, a key oil producer, moves to modernise its energy facilities and boost its refining capabilities. The Al-Zour refinery near the border with Saudi Arabia is slated to produce 615,000 barrels per day and come onstream in November 2019, KNPC CEO Mohammad al-Mutairi told reporters. The 10 foreign companies involved include Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas, China’s Sinopec, South Korea’s Hyundai, SK, Daewoo and Hanwha, Britain-based Fluor, Italy’s Saipem and India’s Essar.