The Duqm Refinery succeeded in exporting the first shipment of high-quality diesel in accordance with international specifications.

This coincides with the company getting closer to achieving commercial operation, with trial operations continuing to progress, exceeding 81 per cent, while the percentage of construction work has exceeded more than 99 per cent.

The trial operations included testing all supply chains at the Duqm Refinery, including crude oil storage facilities at the centre head and an 80-kilometre-long crude oil transport pipeline, in addition to testing the readiness of the facilities for storing and exporting products at the Port of Duqm, all of which were successfully tested.

During the past months, the Ras Markaz crude oil tanks received more than 3 million barrels of Omani and Kuwaiti crude oil, which were later pumped from Ras Markaz to the refinery complex in Duqm via the oil transportation pipeline. The trial operations also included the export of the first shipments of naphtha and fuel oil via products storage and export dock at Duqm Port.

The Duqm Refinery Project is a joint project between the OQ Group and Kuwait Petroleum International Company and is located in the heart of the Special Economic Zone in Duqm, which is distinguished by its strategic location, which is a competitive advantage due to its location on the path of international shipping lines on the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, and this would facilitate marine transportation to and from the region.

The project includes three main packages capable of producing diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas, sulfur, and petroleum coal.

The first package includes the main processing units at the refinery, the second package includes facilities and services, and the third package includes three sub-packages: storage and export facilities for liquid and bulk petroleum products located in the port of Duqm, crude oil storage facilities in Ras Markaz, and a pipeline to transport crude oil from RasMarkaz to Duqm Refinery with a length of 81 km.

Duqm Refinery's vision is to become a world-class refining company committed to providing high-quality oil products to customers all over the world, which would enhance economic growth in the Duqm region, as well as enhance the Sultanate of Oman’s refining capacity to exceed 500,000 barrels per day of refined products upon the start of operations of the Duqm refinery.

The Duqm Refinery has a capacity of 230,000 barrels per day and is capable of dealing with various types of crude oil, including Omani and Kuwaiti crude. — ONA