Oman エチレン計画
http://www.omanet.com/major_project.htm
The petrochemical plant project
is expected to have a 450,000 tonnes per annum ethylene cracker and a similar-sized polyethylene plant. British Petroleum (BP) will have a 49%
stake with the Oman Oil Company holding
11% and the remaining 40%
will be offered to the public in due course. One trillion cubic
feet of gas, over a period of 25 years, has been allocated for
the project. This and other projects are dependent on delivery of
sufficient supplies of natural gas which are now being developed.
http://www.oilandgasdirectory.com/ogd2002/reprof/oman.pdf
Sultanate has started showing
interest to invest in petrochemical industry. Oman is proceeding
with its plan to construct a large scale joint venture
petrochemical project in Sohar for the production of polyethylene
and fertilizers. Omani natural gas can be utilized by this
project and would comprise an ethane cracker and polyethylene unit with an approximate capacity of 450,000
tons in a year. The plant is scheduled to start production
between 2001 and 2002. British Petroleum is to own 40%-49% of the
project under an agreement signed in 1996 and 40% will be sold in
the Muscat Securities Market. An ethane pipeline is under
construction to supply the petrochemical complex.
2004-2-20 Asia Chemical Weekly
Oman Oil to complete feasability study on C2 this year
Oman Oil Co expects to complete a feasibility study on its
proposed cracker complex this year, according to a source close
to the project. The source said many issues were still under
study, including capacities and product slate.
He added that ethane would be used as feedstock for the project
in Sohar, Oman.
Oman Oil was earlier considering building an 800 000-1m tonne/year
cracker project, but has
released few further details.
The company had pursued a 450 000 tonne/year cracker
project jointly with BP
in the mid-1990s, but the latter pulled out in 1999 because of
insufficient gas supply. The
project was to have obtained gas from local sources.
An industry source said that derivatives of the revived cracker
project were likely to include low-density polyethylene (ldPE),
high-density PE and linear ldPE.
It is understood that Oman Oil is seeking advice from financial
institutions on lending issues for the project.
The project is still at a very early stage and no decision on the
selection of a project-management consultant will be made this
year. Startup is expected to be around the end of this decade.
Possible overseas and extra local gas sources could be the reason
that Oman Oil is considering a larger cracker that would offer
better economies of scale.
Oman receives gas from Qatar's Dolphin project, which is
developing natural-gas reserves from Qatar's huge offshore North
Field. Gas is transported from Qatar via pipeline to the United
Arab Emirates and Oman mainly for heavy and power industries.
Oman received its first gas delivery last month which will feed a
new power station.
However, the gas issue could remain a hurdle because Oman needs
to justify the extraction of ethane from non-associated gas,
which contains mainly methane, from Qatar.
(European Chemical News. 11-18
March 2002)
Oman plant to use Novolen
technology
Oman's planned 340 000 tonne/year polypropylene (PP)
plant will be based on
Novolen technology.
Novolen Technology Holdings will also supply catalysts and
technical support on the project.
The planned PP facility, owned by a joint venture in which the
government of Oman will be the majority shareholder, will be part
of a 75 000 bbl/day refinery complex to be located in Sohar,
Oman.
The other partners in the PP facility are Korea's LG International
and US-based ABB Lummus Global.
A memorandum of understanding between the three partners was
signed last month .
Once the plant comes onstream in 2006, the unit will be able to
produce the entire range of PP homopolymers and special grades of
random copolymers.
(European Chemical
News. 4-11 March 2002)
OMAN POLYPROPYLENE
LG to
hold 20% stake in planned facility
LG International has signed a
contract with Oman's Sohar Refinery Company to act as a
foreign partner on a planned 340 000 tonne/year polypropylene
(PP) plant, which will be built in Sohar. LG said it will
hold a 20% stake in the production plant. It is understood
that ABB Lummus also has a stake in the proposed plant, which
the two companies will jointly develop on a turnkey basis.
Start up is slated for 2006. The proposed facility will be
part of a refinery complex, which is currently out to tender
among several EPC contractors.
At the same time, LG says it
has secured the sales rights to the material through an
offtake agreement. LG claims this is the first time a Korean
company has secured such a deal. The company initially
intends to market the polypropylene in China and then
southeast Asia, and believes it can eventually generate
annual sales of $170m from the deal.
Borealis, which had been
shortlisted as a potential partner for the PP plant, said it
had been genuinely interested in the project and was
disappointed to have missed out on the opportunity to
participate
Platts--2002/5/13
Oman touts methanol
plant by 2005; Vitol to market
Oman is set to begin a
major methanol project, a 5,000 mt/day plant, that will be
completed by mid-2005, the Kuwait News Agency KUNA reported
Sunday.
The project partners of
the new worldscale plant, the Oman Oil Co, Oman's al-Zawawi Est
and Germany's Ferrostaal AG, have signed a memorandum of
understanding with Vitol Holding BV that would make Vitol the
offtake-marketer for the facility.
Oman, which produces
around 900,000 b/d of oil, initiated the methanol project as a
means to diversify its income away from crude sales, which
currently provide about 65% of the nation's earnings.
2003/1/19 Dow Jones Energy
Service
Oman Plans Petchem Projects In 03 To Diversify Econ-Paper 
The state-owned Oman Oil Co. is planning to set up industrial
projects worth $3 billion this year as part of the government's
drive to diversify beyond the oil sector, Dubai's Khaleej Times
newspaper reported Sunday.
The projects include a $250-million polypropylene plant with a production capacity of 340,000 tons
a year. OOC will hold a 60% stake in the project.
"We have already invited banks to take part in the financing
of the polypropylene plant," a company official told the
newspaper. "The project has priority since we found a very
responsive market in Asia," he added.
Foreign partners in the venture are South Korea's LG
International Corp. and Hague-based ABB Lummus Global, each with
20%, he said.
The polypropylene plant will be built in Oman's Sohar region near
a 75,000-barrel-a-day oil refinery and is expected to start
production in 2006.
The OOC is also seeking a loan to partially finance a planned
$426 million methanol plant with two partners, local group Omzest and
Germany's Ferrostaal AG (G.FST), the newspaper reported.
The project received a boost last year when Vitol Holdings
(N.VTL) of the Netherlands agreed to buy the plant's entire
5,000-ton-a-day output, the report added.
In addition, OOC is negotiating with Engro Chemical Pakistan
(C.ECP) to build a 850,000-ton-a-year fertilizer plant.
"We are currently carrying out technical and financial
feasibility studies before a final decision is made, which we
hope will be in the third quarter of the year," the OCC
official said.
The project will be Oman's third fertilizer plant. A joint
venture between the governments of Oman and India is building a
urea plant on the eastern coast of Sur in which OOC has a 20%
stake.
(別情報 http://www.oilandgasdirectory.com/ogd2002/reprof/oman.pdf)
For an estimated cost of $1,000
million Oman Oil Company, Rashtriya Chemicals &
Fertilizers (India) and Krishak Bharti Co-operative (India)
are planning to establish an Ammonia and Urea Complex at Sur. OOC will have a 50% holding
and the two Indian firms 25% each. A pipeline planned to
serve the Oman LNG project is likely to supply the feedstock.
Local company Suhail Bahwan is
planning to build another fertilizer plant at Sohar, the
newspaper said.
2002/11/16 http://www.alshabaca.com/mefn/info/newsmain.jhtml?NwsCode=3861&from=n
Oman Oil Company announced that
it had reached agreement with BP (PLC) to purchase its 49 per
cent equity stake in BP Oman
Oman Oil Company announced that it
had reached agreement with BP (PLC) to purchase its 49 per cent
equity stake in BP Oman. BP Oman operations include a network of
74 service stations, lubricants and air services in Oman. OCC is
a diversified energy investment company with investment both
inside and outside Oman. The deal, which expected to be finalized
in the next few weeks, is subject to the approval of the ministry
of Commerce & Industry, the Capital Market Authority and
other concerned authorities. BP will continue to have presence in
the Management of BP Oman. BP will also maintain a strong
presence in Oman through its downstream aviation, marine and
other activities. Earlier this summer for example BP signed an
agreement to buy petroleum products from Oman planned 116,000 b/d
Sohar refinery which is due to begin production in 2006.
2004-3-5 Asia Chemical Weekly
S. Korea's LG International mulls
EDC project in Oman
LG International (LGI) is
considering building an ethylene dichloride (EDC) plant in Sohar, Oman, according to sources close to the
project.
Two sources said LGI had appointed
Nexant ChemSystems to conduct a feasibility study on the project,
which is to be integrated with a chloralkali unit. The study,
which has been completed, shows that the project is feasible,
according to the sources. An LGI spokesman declined to comment on
the project.
LGI is expected to partner
state-owned Oman
Oil Co (OOC) for the project.
LGI and OOC might form a 40:60 joint venture or invite more
partners to participate in the project, one source said.
The project would have a capacity of 300 000
tonne/year, which is of the
same scale as LG Chem's previously announced EDC project in
Australia, the source said. LG Chem abandoned the Australian
project and is now considering alternative sites in China.
Ethylene feedstock could be sourced
from National Petrochemical Co (NPC) of Iran until OOC's cracker
project starts up, according to the source. The EDC project is
slated to start up in 2007, but the cracker project is still
under study and is unlikely to start up till around the end of
this decade.
Salt for the chloralkali unit could
also come from NPC, which is considering building a salt refinery
near Sohar, the source said. He added that low electricity cost
in Oman was another factor in favour of the project.
NPC declined to comment on its
involvement in the EDC project and on whether it would invest in
it.
Petro Chemical News 2004/4/15
LG Completes Oman EDC Study; Considering Potential Partners
LG International has completed a feasibility study for a 300,000-t/y ethylene dichloride
(EDC) plant in Sohar, Oman, and is considering possible joint
venture partners for the project.
The company expects to begin talks soon with Oman Oil concerning
their participation in the project and is also considering asking
a local private company, such as Suhail Bahwan or Omzest, to take
part, said local reports quoting an LG project official.
The project, costing $250-million or less, is projected to come
on stream in 2007.
LG and Oman Oil, along with ABB Lummus Global, are currently
building a 340,000-t/y polypropylene plant at Sohar.
2004年07月21日 Chemnet Tokyo Dow release
オマーン政府とダウ、石化コンプレックスJV設立で合意
オマーン政府、オマーン石油とダウは20日、オマーン北部のソハールで石化コンプレックスを建設/運営するJV設立で合意したと発表した。
JVはダウが50%、政府とオマーン石油がそれぞれ25%出資する。JVではエタン製造プラントとエタンクラッカー、及び新鋭技術による3系列の世界クラスのポリエチレンを建設する。更にJVでは同国の雇用促進のため、ポリエチレンの加工も検討する。
オマーンでは以前にオマーン石油とBPとのJVで45万トンのエチレンとポリエチレンを建設する計画があったが、原料不足を理由にBPが撤退した。ほかにオマーンでは政府と韓国LG及びABBルーマスのJVでポリプロ34万トンを建設する計画がある。
ダウは安価な原料を求めて中東での活動を広めており、クウェートではPIC(Petrochemical
Industries Company)との石化JVを運営するほか、PICとの連携を深めるため、海外で2つのJVを設立している。
2004/7/20 Dow
The Government of the
Sultanate of Oman, Oman Oil Company and The Dow Chemical Company
Forming a Joint Venture to Build and Operate a Petrochemical
Complex in Oman
http://www.dow.com/dow_news/corporate/2004/20040720a.htm
The Government of the
Sultanate of Oman, Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. (OOC) and The Dow
Chemical Company (DOW) announced today an agreement to form a
joint venture that will design, build and operate a petrochemical
complex in Oman.
The joint venture will be owned 50% by Dow, 25% by the Government
of Oman and 25% by OOC.
Located in the Sohar Industrial Port Area, the petrochemical
complex will comprise feedstock production facilities, a gas
cracker, as well as three world-scale Polyethylene production
units based on state-of-the-art catalyst and process technology.
Further, the joint venture will facilitate the development of
downstream industries in Oman that will convert polyethylene to
end-products in Oman thus enhancing the level of job creation
that will result from the complex.
"This project is a further milestone in the Omani
Government's continuing efforts to develop Al Batinnah Region by
promoting foreign investment which will contribute to job
creation, in addition to laying the foundation for future
downstream industries" said H.E. Ahmed Macki, the Minister
of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of Financial Affairs and
Energy Resources Council.
H.E. Maqbool Ali Sultan, Oman's Minister of Commerce &
Industry and Chairman of OOC added "With a strategic partner
such as Dow, we are confident this project will be a
success."
"This project is another important step in achieving Dow's
strategy of having cost competitive geographic and product
positions that will enable value growth," said William S.
Stavropoulos, Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company.
"This is a tremendous opportunity which provides significant
access to cost-competitive feedstock to supply the fast-growing
markets of Asia," said Andrew Liveris, President and Chief
Operating Officer of The Dow Chemical Company, "The Middle
East will play an increasingly strong role in the global
petrochemical industry and this joint venture will expand Dow's
presence in the region."
"This joint venture will combine the natural gas resources
of Oman with Dow's state-of-the-art technology position,
operational expertise and marketing know-how," said Romeo
Kreinberg, Senior Vice President for Plastics, The Dow Chemical
Company. "This combination will be the foundation of a
strong and successful partnership that has tremendous potential
to attract downstream customers, manufacturing opportunities and
additional investments well into the future."
Construction of the petrochemical complex is expected to begin in
2005.
Oman Oil Company (OOC)
Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. (OOC) is a commercial company 100 %
owned by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman. The company was
created in 1992 to give the Government another vehicle for
pursuing investment opportunities in the energy sector both
inside and outside Oman. Through participation in energy and
energy related projects, OOC plays a role in the Sultanate's
efforts to diversify the Omani economy and help generates Omani
and foreign private sector investment. In Oman, OOC has interest
in numerous projects that are either in operation, under
construction or under development. These include gas
transmission, petroleum retailing, refining, petrochemicals and
aluminum smelting. Outside Oman, OOC has interests in exploration
and production, crude oil pipelines and petroleum product
logistics. For further information on OCC, please visit
www.oman-oil.com.
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow)
The Dow Chemical Company is a leader in science and technology,
providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products
and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual
sales of $33 billion, Dow serves customers in more than 180
countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human
progress, including food, transportation, health and medicine,
personal and home care, and building and construction, among
others. Committed to the principles of sustainable development,
Dow and its approximately 46,000 employees seek to balance
economic, environmental and social responsibilities. References
to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow
Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless
otherwise expressly noted.
2004/09/21 三菱重工業
オマーンから大規模な肥料製造プラントを受注
http://release.nikkei.co.jp/detail.cfm?relID=81750
三菱重工業は、双日の協力を得て、オマーンのソハール国際尿素・化学品工業社（Sohar
International Urea & Chemical Industries）から、ソハール肥料コンプレックスの建設工事を受注、近く正式に契約する。受注金額は約５億ドルで、生産開始は２００７年度下期の予定。オマーン向けプラント建設工事は今回が初めて。首都マスカット（Ｍｕｓｃａｔ）から北西約２６０ｋｍに位置し、国際協力銀行のアンタイドローンにより造成されたソハール工業地区内に建設される。
ソハール肥料コンプレックスは、天然ガスを原材料としてアンモニアを製造後、全量を尿素に転換して最終製品である肥料用途の粒状尿素をつくる設備。日産２，０００トンのアンモニア製造プラント、同３，５００トンの尿素製造・造粒プラント、およびその関連設備から構成され、化学プロセスには、ハルダー・トプソ（デンマーク）、スナプロゲッティ（イタリア）、ヤラ ファーティライザー テクノロジー（ベルギー）の技術が使用される。
ソハール国際尿素・化学品工業社は、オマーンの財閥であるスヘイル バウアン（Suhail Bahwan）によって設立された。今回の肥料コンプレックス建設資金には、国際協力銀行と日本貿易保険の輸出信用によるプロジェクトファイナンスの供与が検討されている。供与が実現すれば、日本の公的信用機関による尿素製造プラント建設案件に対する初のプロジェクトファイナンスの適用となる。
当社は、過去１５年間に大型のアンモニア・尿素プラントの建設プロジェクトを、海外で６件遂行しており、その実績と技術力が評価され、今回の受注となった。
粒状尿素は、肥料として消費された後に有害物を残さず、土壌に強く保持され流失しにくいという特性などから世界で広く使われており、人口増加による食料増産ともあいまって、今後も需要はますます伸びていくものと予想される。将来、ソハール肥料コンプレックスでも、第２期工事として、アンモニア・尿素プラントの追設が計画されており、その商談の展開も期待される。
当社は、今回のオマーンでの大型案件獲得により、中東地域でのプレゼンスを一層高め、同地域でのプラント案件の継続受注を目指していく。
2004/12/19 Oman Oil
Oman Oil Company signed with Gulf Investment Corporation for a
20% Share of Oman Polypropylene Company
http://www.oman-oil.com/newsdetails.asp?id=80
Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. (OOC)
signed an agreement for the sale of a 20% interest in the US$ 313 million Oman Polypropylene LLC (OPP) to Gulf Investment
Corporation (GIC), following
the ‘in principle agreement’
reached between the companies as per
the announcement made in June 2004.
The agreement was signed on behalf of OOC by H.E. Maqbool Ali
Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of OOC and
Mr. Hisham Al Razzuqi, the Chief Executive Officer on behalf of
GIC.
OPP is a joint venture between OOC and LG International of Korea with 80%
and 20% stakes respectively.
The share of GIC will be carved out from OOC’s 80% ownership in the Company and will
entitle GIC for a seat on the Board of Directors of OPP.
H.E. Maqbool Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce & Industry and
OOC’s Chairman stated that
the addition of GIC as an investor in OPP will further enhance
the company’s shareholding.
The Minister further said that GIC’s investment in OPP comes in line with
Oman Oil Company investment guidelines and ambition by
facilitating foreign investment in the Sultanate.
The Chief Executive Officer of GIC, Mr. Hisham Al-Razzuqi also
stated that on this occasion GIC is very pleased to be partners
with Oman Oil Company in this important project. They are
optimistic of OPP’s future
and will continue to seek feasible investment opportunities that
add value to Oman’s
economy, and therefore enhance growth prospects. He also added
that this fits perfectly with GIC’s mandate to support the development of
private enterprise and economic growth in the GCC region.
OPP was established to construct and operate a polypropylene
plant in Sohar Industrial Area with a capacity to produce 340,000 tonnes per annum
of polypropylene product. The
project, which is started as part of Sohar refinery complex, aims
to add value to the “propylene”
stream to produce a product that can
be used in a large array of downstream industries.
Oman Oil Company signed with Gulf Investment Corporation for a
20% Share of Oman Polypropylene Company
The plant is being constructed on EPC basis by a consortium of LG
International Cooperation and LG Engineering & Construction
Corporation. The plant is expected to directly employ 160 people
at operation with tens of other jobs indirectly in activities
outsourced to supporting contractors.
Oman Polypropylene will market production in the Indian
subcontinent, Iran, Middle East and east and southern Africa and
LG International will be the marketer in the rest of
international markets. Initially, ninety per cent of the
production will be exported and the remaining 10 per cent will
meet the existing domestic requirements. However, OPP hopes to
encourage the domestic utilization in the downstream sector and
to increase its allocation for the domestic use beyond the
presently envisaged ratio of 10%.
The plant will commence commercial production in the third
quarter of 2006.
Gulf Investment Corporation
Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) was established in 1983 and is
equally owned by six member states of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC): Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates.
Its mission is to support regional cooperation and to stimulate
private enterprise in the GCC region. With an authorized capital
base of US$ 2.1 billion GIC’s
balance sheet assets stood at US$ 6.6 billion at the end of 2003
and shareholders’ equity
were US$ 1,285.9 million.
Platts 2005/2/22
UAE's Mubadala joins
Oman methanol project at Salalah
State-owned Oman Oil Co. (OOC) and the UAE's Mubadala Development
Co. have reached agreement to develop jointly a planned methanol
project in the port of Salalah in the sultanate of Oman, the
companies said in a statement Tuesday.
The Accession Agreement for state-owned Mubadala's participation
as a shareholder was signed in Oman and is subject to final
sanction, the statement said.
The project will entail the development, construction and
operation of a 3,000 mt/day state-of-the-art methanol plant,
using as feedstock natural gas supplied by the Oman gas Co.
"We are excited about the opportunity to support the
development of such an important project for Salalah and to grow
Mubadala's portfolio of energy investments in Oman," said
Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Mubadala's chief operating officer.
Oman Oil Co CEO Ahmed Bin Salim Al Wahaibi said the Omani company
looked forward to future cooperation between Oman Oil and
Mubadala in the development of energy projects and the region.
Platts 2005/12/5
New Oman petchem
plants, oil refinery powering to early start-ups
New polypropylene, benzene and
paraxylene plants
planned for Oman's industrial development zone in Sohar are
powering towards early start-ups, Oman Polypropylene LLC CEO
Mohammed Benayoune said in Muscat, Oman on Monday.
The petrochemicals units represent a key plank in Oman's push to
diversify its economy away from simply selling crude oil and
natural gas, and they are being driven on quickly by a
determination at government level to get things done quickly, he
said.
"One of the main objectives is to use these plants for
downstream converting industries," said Benayoune. The aim
of the Omani government is to "add as much value within the
country as possible" to crude and gas before it is exported,
he told a Middle East Aromatics and Derivatives Markets
conference in Muscat, organized by Singapore-based CMT.
Benayoune said the 340,000mt/year Sohar polypropylene
plant was
75% complete in construction, and was set for commissioning in
May or June next year. Full commercial production is set to start
in July, two months ahead of schedule.
While Oman hopes to expand further downstream in coming years, at
first 90% of the product from the plant will be exported. Oman
Polypropylene, which is 60%
owned by government-run Oman Oil Co (20% Gulf Investment
Corporation and 20% LG International of Korea), has previously stated
that OOC will market the new production in the Indian
subcontinent, Iran, the Middle East and Africa. LG International
is set to market polypropylene from the project to the rest of
the international market.
On the 810,000mt/year paraxylene and
210,000mt/year benzene plants for Sohar, Benayoune said
progress on the design and contracting of the units had been
exceptionally fast since they were first dreamt up in late 2004. OOC,
which also owns 60% of Oman Aromatics (the operator of the new
plants), gave its approval for a business plan in the fourth
quarter of 2004, approved commercial terms in April 2005, and the
project was fully committed on Sep 16.
According to Benayoune, Sohar's PX and benzene units will now
likely be commissioned by September 2008, and be in full
commercial production by December.
The marketing of the benzene and PX will be carried out by the
project's owners. LG International, which also holds
20% in Oman Aromatics (Oman Refinery Co owns the remaining 20%), will take 20% of the
aromatics output and find a home for it in eastern Asian markets.
OOC has committed to marketing the other 80%, and will likely try
to do so through a new trading joint venture it plans to launch
with international trading company Vitol in 2006.
The creation of the new trading company, likely to be named Oman
Energy Trading, was announced in September when OOC unveiled a
five-year deal with Vitol to market refined products from the
Sohar refinery starting in the middle of 2006.
Meanwhile, a 74,260 b/d residue fluid catalytic
cracker
at the new Sohar oil refinery is set to move into production
early next year to support the new polypropylene complex. An
official from Sohar Refining Co, the operating company in charge
of the new refinery, said on the sidelines of the conference that
the refinery's main cracking unit was expected to be running at
commercial levels by May or June. In September, an official from
Oman's Ministry of Oil and Gas told Platts that the refinery
would look to begin its start-up process in March--a development
that led the Omani government to notify crude oil lifters earlier
this year that it would cut crude export volumes by 20% from Jan
1, 2006.
The Sohar refinery will become Oman's
second after the nearby 85,000 b/d capacity Mina al-Fahal
refinery.
Mina al-Fahal itself, which is operated by Oman Refinery Co, has
been slated for an eventual expansion in capacity to 106,000 b/d.
OMR plans to link Mina al-Fahal to the Soar complex with a 277-km
pipeline to ship over a mixed feedstock of crude and long residue
from the Oman Refinery to Sohar for processing.
The new refinery, polypropylene unit and aromatics complex have
received full backing from the Omani government, which is mindful
of its declining crude oil production and limited natural gas
resources. Opening CMT's conference on Monday, Oman
Undersecretary for Oil and Gas Nasser bin Ali al-Jashmi said the
country was determined to refine a reprocess as much of its own
hydrocarbons as it can in the coming years. The push will also
eventually include a second fertilizer complex in Oman, an
ethylene complex and a methanol complex.
"Our aim is to see more raw materials leave Oman as finished
products," said the ministry official, "and make more
dollars per barrel of oil." The country is also keen to
develop more high-paying jobs for its young workforce, and
eventually establish the kind of knowledge-based job economy that
could sustain Oman after its primary energy production moves into
long-term decline.
Oman, a non-OPEC Gulf producer, has been suffering from declining
crude oil production in recent years because of problems with its
reservoirs. Oman's average crude production for the first six
months of 2005 stood at 774,200 b/d, down from 783,300 b/d for
the same period in 2004, according to statistics from the
country's economics ministry.
2005/12/10 Oman
Oil
Oman Oil Company
Acquires 30% Equity in Qingdao Lidong Chemical Co. Ltd 青島麗東化学
http://www.oman-oil.com/newsdetails.asp?id=101
Oman Oil Company
S.A.O.C. (“OOC”) acquired 30% equity interest in
the Qingdao
Lidong Chemical Co. Ltd (“QLCC”青島麗東化学工業), an aromatics
petrochemical plant, promoted by the GS Group, in the Peoples Republic
of China.
The
agreement was signed on behalf of OOC by H.E. Ahmed AbdulNabi
Macki, Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of
Financial Affairs & Energy Resources Council, and Eng. Ahmed
Salim Al Wahaibi, Chief Executive Officer of OOC, who are
currently visiting South Korea. On behalf of GS Group, the
agreement was signed Dr. D.S. Hur, the Chairman of the Group.
On the occasion of the signing, H.E. Ahmed AbdulNabi Macki stated
that “this is the second
investment for OOC in the Peoples Republic of China, which is in
line with the strategic objectives of the Company. China is
considered as one of the fastest growing economies in the world
and it has become a major player in the global economy.”
The
QLCC petrochemical plant has a capacity to produce 700,000
mtpa of Paraxylene, 250,000 mtpa of Benzene, 150,000 mtpa of
Toluene and 113,000 mtpa of Raffinate. The feedstock for the
project will be supplied by one of the refineries owned by the GS
Group.
As per the revised ownership structure, QLCC is owned 60% by
LG Aromatics, 30% by OOC and 10% by Red Star Chemical Group
Ltd. The plant is located in the
Qingdao province in China, the area that was specifically
developed as a specialized petrochemical investment zone with
special tax exemptions and proximity to Korea, which is the major
source for the feedstock.
The ceremony was attended by H.E. Moosa bin Hamdan Al Taei,
Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman in South Korea as well as
other members of the Delegation.
Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. (OOC) is a commercial company 100%
owned by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman. The company was
created in 1992 to give the Government another vehicle for
pursuing investment opportunities in the energy sector both
inside and outside Oman. Through participation in energy and
energy related projects, OOC plays a role in the Sultanate's
efforts to diversify the Omani economy and help generates Omani
and foreign private sector investment. In Oman, OOC has interest
in numerous projects that are either in operation, under
construction or under development. These include gas
transmission, petroleum retailing, refining, petrochemicals and
aluminium smelting. Outside Oman, OOC has interests in
exploration and production, crude oil pipelines and petroleum
product logistics.
2004-5-16
Large chemical JV set up in Qingdao
http://www.china-sd.net/eng/sdnews/listnews.asp?classid=154&siteid=3469
A large
production base of aromatic hydrocarbon with an investment of
US$400 million from Republic of Korea-based LG settled
recently in Qingdao, a coastal city in eastern China`s
Shandong Province.
LG dominates the newly-established joint venture, named
Qingdao Lidong Chemical Industry, by providing 90 percent of
the total investment. The venture, under construction since
this March, was scheduled to go into production in early 2006
and will mainly offer such products as benzene and toluene.
According to Sha Hong, an official with the Qingdao Foreign
Trade and Economic Bureau, the joint venture is the largest
foreign-funded production project ever established in the
city.
So far, there are 5,300 foreign-funded companies in Qingdao,
which utilized US$947 million of foreign investment in the
first quarter of this year, up 73.4 percent over the same
time last year.
Platts 2006/11/15
Oman Polypropylene plans
on-spec PP production end-Nov/early-Dec
Oman Polypropylene was
planning to start production of specification grade material at
its new 340,000 mt/year polypropylene plant at Sohar by the end
of November or early December, a source close to the company said
Wednesday.
The company had started working up the plant in early November,
but the source said it would likely be another couple of weeks
before it was fully operational.
The plant's startup had been delayed several times, with trial
runs first being made at the end of July. However, soon after the
unit's first startup, the plant was shut down due to "minor
technical issues," another source close to the company said
earlier.
Oman PP is 60% owned by government-run Oman Oil Company, 20% by
Gulf Investment Corporation and 20% by LG International.
2007/7/13
yarnsandfibers.com
Oman
shelves big petchem JV with Dow
Oman
Petrochemical Industries Corp. (OPIC; Muscat) has
indefinitely postponed plans to build a petrochemical
complex at Sohar, Oman, due to escalating costs, sources say.
OPIC, a joint venture in which Dow Chemical holds 50% and the
government of Oman and Oman Oil Co. each hold 25%, originally
planned to have the complex onstream in 2008-09. But costs have
almost doubled, to $4.5 billion, from original
estimates of $2.6 billion, making the project too expensive
for the partners to proceed, sources say.
Another doubt was whether gas was available in sufficient
quantities to support the project, sources add. OPIC has informed
contractors that it has shelved the plans, which sources say are
unlikely to be revived.
The project would have included gas extraction facilities at
Fahud, and a 400-km pipeline from Fahud to Sohar, where a gas
fractionation unit, an ethylene plant, and three
polyethylene (PE) facilities were planned. ABB
Lummus Global was bidding for the gas extraction facilities; CCC
(Athens) for the pipeline; and Technip for the gas fractionation
and ethylene plants. Dow had been expected to supply the PE
units. Petrofac (London), Saipem, and Technip were competing for
the offsites and utilities.
2007/9/25 Platts
Oman Salalah Methanol
concludes financing deal for methanol plant
Oman's Salalah Methanol
Company
signed a financing deal for the construction of a 1 million mt/year
methanol,
according to an announcement Monday by its parent, Oman Oil
Company.
The plant, to be built in the Salalah Free Zone, was expected to be operational in
early 2010, the company said.
The agreement was signed between Salalah Methanol Company and a
group of lenders including local, regional and international
commercial banks for the financing of 65% of the total project
cost, with the remainder provided by Oman Oil Company.
The total costs of the project were expected to mount to Oman
Rials 350 million ($910 million).
Salalah Methanol was founded in February 2006 and is the first wholly owned
subsidiary of Oman Oil Company within Oman, the company said.
It will be using Johnson Matthey methanol production technology
licensed by Jacobs Consultancy of the UK.
The EPC contract was awarded to GS E&C of Korea in March and
the contract became effective in April. The engineering and
procurement effort is continuing in Seoul with major equipment
already in order.
The methanol production facility will include power generation,
water desalination as well as construction of seawater intake and
supply facilities.
Construction work force is expected to peak at 2000 people in
mid-2008.
The feedstock is supplied by Ministry of Oil and Gas through the
existing pipeline that is already operational, owned and operated
by Oman Gas Company.
Earlier this month Oman Shipping Company set up a joint venture
with Emirates Trading Agency to transport the methanol products
from the existing berths in Salalah.
Oman Trading International will be the sole off taker of the
methanol which will be traded in the international markets.
Al Bawaba 2007/11/4
Octal Petrochemicals
signs US$166.5 million loan facility with BankMuscat
Oman-based
Octal Petrochemicals
completed the initial phase of financing today for its
groundbreaking plastic packaging venture in Salalah Free Zone.
Octal Chairman, Sheikh
Saad Suhail Bahwan, and BankMuscat Chief Executive, AbdulRazak
Ali Issa, formally agreed a US$166.5 million loan facility for
Octal’s APET(amorphous 非晶質)
sheet packaging plant, which
is aiming for a 20 per cent share of the global market for APET.
The facility is made up
of a US$148.5 million term loan, of which US$34.5 million has
been syndicated to Bank Dhofar, and US$18 million in working
capital. Financing was raised in three stages over the last year
and completes Octal’s initial US$300 million
investment in proprietary technology and custom-made production
lines.
Sheikh Saad Suhail Bahwan
said: “Octal is redefining the global
plastic packaging industry and the initiative is taking place
here in Oman, with Omani investors and the support of government.
Octal is expected to be the largest exporter from the port of
Salalah, a growing employer and a significant investor in local
suppliers.”
He said: “This is a world-class, US$1
billion company taking shape in Oman and we’re delighted to have the support
of BankMuscat as our financial advisor. Our initial US$300
million investment has been arranged on a 50:50 debt equity
basis, which allows us to expand at speed. The equity placement
was significantly oversubscribed which shows the enthusiasm of
the local market.”
AbdulRazak Ali Issa of
BankMuscat added: “Octal is a flagship venture for
Oman and one which clearly demonstrates the growing
competitiveness of the Sultanate, in terms of both its geographic
location and economic flexibility. We are proud to be associated
with the project and believe in its financial viability.”
Octal’s Oman-based investors include
NIFCO (National Investment Fund Company), Muscat Overseas, Oman
Investment Company, Malatan Trading and Contracting, Oman and
Emirates Investment Holding, Suhail Bahwan Group, DIDIC, as well
as BankMuscat. Individual and institutional investors in Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait and the US are also committed to the project.
Octal Petrochemicals
expects sales of its APET (amorphous polyethylene terephthalate)
sheet packaging to reach US$500 million per annum by the end of
next year. Production capacity now stands at 30,000 metric tons per annum (tpa), but that figure
will exceed 300,000 tpa by June 2008 as Octal corners a fifth of the
world market for APET sheet, which was valued at US$2.25 billion
last year.
The move to develop one
of the world’s fastest growing packaging
companies in Oman responds to the increasing use of clear rigid
plastic packaging for consumer products, convenience foods and
merchandising. APET’s clarity, gloss and toughness
make it ideal for goods that require protection and shelf impact,
and the product is completely recyclable.
Rashid Saif Al Sadi,
Director of Octal Petrochemicals, said: “We have addressed significant cost
and quality shortfalls in regular APET sheet manufacture to
deliver a highly competitive solution to the growing packaging
requirements of regional and global clients. Octal already has 40
customers, mostly in the UK, Europe and North America, and
exports to China have just started.”
North America is a prime
target for Octal. Oman’s total non-oil exports to the US
were RO15.6 million in 2006, and Octal alone aims to increase
that figure five-fold by the end of next year.
Octal is the first
investor to build a plant in Salalah Free Zone and production
started in December 2006. The built-up area of the plant, located
less than one kilometre from the port of Salalah, will reach
135,000 square metres when an integrated PET resin and APET sheet
complex comes on stream next April.
Octal’s Managing Director Nicholas
Barakat said: “We’re excited to be the first company
in Salalah Free Zone and proud that more than a third of our
75-strong workforce is from Oman.”
He said: “Oman was selected for the Octal
complex because of its excellent location on the East-West
shipping lanes, which enables us to reach key destinations around
the world within 18 days. The Sultanate also provides ready
access to raw materials.
“We
have 500,000 square metres of land on which to expand our
operations, and ambitious growth plans in place that will see
Octal compete internationally and make a major contribution to
the local economy.”
March 26, 2008 Octal
OCTAL'S new PET plastic
platn to feature direct to sheet technology
Simplified
Manufacturing Process to Produce Most Consistent Sheet in World
Octal (www.octal.com) has revealed details of its direct to sheet
(DTS) APET plastic manufacturing process which constitutes a significant
departure from traditional manufacturing processes - both in
terms of manufacturing efficiency and product quality.
The new complex, located
in the Salalah Free Trade Zone in Oman, is funded by an initial $300
million investment in proprietary technology and custom-made
production lines. The 330,000 metric ton PET resin
and APET sheet facility is scheduled to start-up in August
2008. Octal is focused on PET resin for bottles (150,000
tons per annum (tpa)) and APET sheet (180,000 tpa) as the continuing trend towards
convenience living is driving strong growth in both beverage and
prepared foods packaging. APET is emerging as the strongest
overall performer from the standpoint of mechanical and optical
performance as well as recyclability.
New Process Eliminates
Manufacturing Steps and Reheating
Octal's investment is
based on a manufacturing process that provides a quantum leap in
manufacturing efficiency and quality. This significant strategic
innovation expands the universe of clear rigid packaging
applications available to APET, growing opportunities for
thermoformers and food and consumer product packagers, alike.
Octal's express intent is to rewrite the playbook for value in
APET packaging by leveraging game-changing technology to produce
a product that allows downstream processors to extract cost from
their processes and benefit from APET's superior mechanical and
optical properties.
Octal's proprietary DTS
technology simplifies the traditional manufacturing process that
typically requires the use of granulated resin from a third-party
supplier. After delivery, the resin is dried in a four-to-six
hour energy-intensive operation before being fed into the
extruder. From there, the extruder compresses and heats the resin
into a melt, which is then transferred to the die and onto the
rollers to manufacture APET sheets.
"Octal's new DTS
technology eliminates two energy intensive
processes: resin drying and resin reheating or remelting, which together account for the
majority of energy consumption and resin degradation, said Karl
Stöger, SML Maschinengsellschaft of
Austria, supplier of key sheet line components.
PJ Corcoran, Octal's
converted products manager adds, "With the melt already
heated to the proper temperature, it arrives at the calendar
stacks without having to be dried and remelted from the granular
form. This means there is no chance for contamination to enter
the system and ensures a finished polymer that is fully devoid of
moisture, eliminating all moisture-related defects. This is
especially salient for food processors, which can be absolutely
assured of product purity. Only a direct to sheet system can make
such a claim. Finally, there is absolute traceability as the
resin is mechanically constrained to one source for a mono layer
sheet - there can be no question as to the origin of the resin
and its quality."
"With less polymer
degradation, we expect a pick up in both gloss, clarity and
stiffness levels," said Mr. Stöger. "The integrity of the
polymer is ideal for the sheet casting process, as the tighter
the uniformity upstream, the tighter the mechanical and optical
properties downstream. The uniformity of the sheet also allowed
us to design a winder that constructs precision rolls with
virtually unnoticeable weave and nearly perfect formation. We
know that thermoformers benefit from this by being able to
minimize side trim, which is a direct material savings."
Octal has engaged Fluor
Enterprise, Inc. as its owner engineer and technology consultant.
Fluor was also selected to manage the construction of the PET and
APET sheet site in Salalah, Oman.
Mag Fouad, vice president
of Chemical Technology for Fluor said, "The process linking
the resin-making to the converting lines is proven in other
applications and is highly robust. The uniformity of the resin
fed to the sheet lines will be very tightly controlled, therefore
the resulting sheet rolls will be uniform from lot to lot. This
innovative approach introduced by Octal has clear advantages, not
only in operating cost and low consumption of energy, but in
being an environmentally conscious and forward-looking
organization."
Additionally, the
technology reduces the energy footprint and enables a very
compact construction footprint for economies in construction
materials and real estate.
Early Customers Already
Converting Octal APET Sheet
Octal's additional 300,000
metric ton
per year site is actually the second step in a carefully planned
phased investment process. In fact, Octal started initial
operations with a smaller scale traditional extrusion plant in
December 2006. With a capacity of 30,000 metric
tons, it has
been custom engineered to deliver superior quality APET sheet
with consistent gauge, gloss and transparency. Octal has entered
both the European and North American markets with this capacity
and has been successful in validating the benefits of its
precision sheet.
Numerous thermoformers in
the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, India and China are
experiencing sizable yield savings and appearance improvements. A
large U.S. bakery, that has backward integrated into
thermoforming its own trays, has selected Octal as its sole
supplier for the sheet's visual appeal and reliable processing.
Octal's scale will afford unlimited upside potential for
supporting global packaging initiatives, and its reliable
consistency will deliver the confidence for a large share of use
at individual accounts.
About Octal Holding SAOC
Octal Holding SAOC
(www.octal.com), established in 2006, is rapidly becoming the
world's largest producer of APET sheet, delivering to brands and
the packaging industry superior gauge control, gloss and
transparency for rigid plastic packages. It is also in the
process of becoming the largest manufacturer of PET in the Middle
East. The company is setting the standard in APET packaging
through its patented technology and proprietary processes,
featuring the tightest gauge control and tolerances in the
industry. With state-of-the-art manufacturing based in the Middle
East, Octal has sales and customer support operations in the
United States, Europe and Asia.
Apr 14, 2008 McClatchy-Tribune Information
Services via COMTEX
Octal
Petrochemicals to add 500,000 tpa of PET capacity
Octal Petrochemicals will
add
500,000 metric tons of
production capacity in PET resins by May 2010, making it one of
the world's largest polyester producers with 800,000
metric tons
of annual capacity.
Octal Chairman Sheikh Saad Suhail Bahwan said the company's
second-phase expansion will make it the largest polyester
manufacturer in the Middle East and one of the biggest outside of
China on one site.
Octal's integrated PET resin and APET sheet facility in the
southeast city of Salalah will ramp up the new production
capacity in two stages: 250,000 metric tons by March 2010 and the remaining 250,000 by May of
that year.
The company is targeting the soft drink and bottled water markets
in Europe, the US and Middle East through its move into PET.
Sheikh Saad said: "Between 2009 and 2012 more than 20
million metric tons of plastic raw materials capacity will come
on-stream in the Gulf. Octal is harnessing the region's strategic
advantage and Salalah's unique location to deliver major growth
in PET resin production for export as well as significant cost
savings through our integrated, one-site operational model."
Sheikh Saad said: "Octal is fulfilling its expansion
strategy to become a homegrown global petrochemicals leader.
Phase one saw our entry into APET sheet for global export. Phase
two will be a major step forward in PET resin production, and
phase three will complete the integration of our state-of-the-art
facility, realizing unprecedented cost and quality
advantages."
Speaking at the Oman Economic Forum in Muscat today, Octal
Managing Director Nicholas Barakat said: "Preliminary
funding for phase two is already in place. Around US$18 million
has been allocated for long-lead items and engineering
work."
Fluor Corporation has been retained as technical advisor for the
expansion and is preparing bid packages for the construction.
BankMuscat will continue to serve as financial advisor.
Mag Fouad, Vice President of Technology at Fluor, said:
"Octal is progressing towards the goal set at its outset in
2005 to become the largest and lowest-cost polyester company in
the Middle East, a region where the key raw materials for PET are
readily available."
Octal's phase-one facility is nearing completion and will produce
150,000 metric tons per annum (tpa) of PET by the end of 2008. By
that time, the plant's total combined production capacity of PET
and APET sheet will have reached 330,000 tpa.
Nicholas Barakat of Octal said: "The infrastructure for the
second phase, thanks to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and
Salalah Free Zone, is now ready. The first MEG tank of the liquid
chemicals terminal is complete, water treatment facilities are in
place, and we have secured the environmental permits for the
capacity increase."
Based at Salalah Free Zone, Octal Petrochemicals' integrated PET
(polyethylene terephthalate) and APET (amorphous polyethylene
terephthalate) production plant is being built at an initial cost
of US$300 million.
Total investment on the site is set to rise to as much as US$1
billion upon completion. Global export sales capacity is expected
to reach US$500 million by the end of this year and net exports
will reach US$1.1 billion with the completion of phase three.
Awadh Alshanfari, Chief Executive Officer of Salalah Free Zone
Company SAOC, said: "We are proud of our association with
Octal's project and emphasize the free zone's commitment to its
customers and growth plans. Octal's project is an important
milestone for the free zone as it establishes itself as a major
hub for global trade."