OQ Advances Major Oman Projects: What Investors and Entrepreneurs Need to Know for Business Growth
MUSCAT: Having invested over $20 billion in a range of strategically important projects across Oman’s energy value chain, OQ — the Sultanate of Oman’s integrated energy group — is now moving forward with a new series of landmark initiatives aimed at maximizing value from the country’s hydrocarbon resources.
OQ Group CEO Ashraf bin Hamed al Maamari described these upcoming projects as “strategic priorities” that will support the next stage of growth for the fully state-owned company.
“OQ’s strategic priorities are focused on activating growth and delivering targeted financial returns through new project developments, expansions, and acquisitions,” Al Maamari explained.
The group is currently conducting detailed studies on several significant projects in preparation for final investment decisions. Notable among these are the Oman Petrochemical Complex, the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Extraction Project, the Nahada–Ras Markaz Oil Pipeline, and the Ras Markaz Crude Oil Storage Terminal, he revealed in an interview published in the latest edition of ‘Enjaz & Eejaz’, the quarterly newsletter of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA).
Earlier this year, OQ issued a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) tender for the Saih Nihayda NGL extraction plant. This project is a key part of an integrated value chain connecting upstream gas extraction with processing, fractionation, storage, and export facilities at Duqm. The project includes a 230-kilometer pipeline and a downstream fractionation complex designed to produce ethane, propane, butane, and condensates for domestic and regional markets. With a planned capacity of up to 48 million cubic meters per day, the facility will provide essential feedstock—particularly ethane—for the proposed Oman Petrochemicals Complex, strengthening Oman’s gas value chain and supporting industrial growth.
Separately, OQ is evaluating a proposed pipeline that would serve as a critical midstream link between Oman’s Main Oil Line at Nahada in central Oman and the Ras Markaz storage hub near Al Duqm. This pipeline, estimated to be 360 to 440 kilometers long, would create a second crude export route for Oman, bypassing traditional terminals and enhancing crude logistics flexibility. It would also enable crude blending and direct delivery to Ras Markaz for storage and export, further establishing Duqm as a strategic energy corridor.
The Group CEO emphasized that this new investment portfolio, alongside forthcoming projects in solar, wind, and green hydrogen, will bring transformative benefits to Oman’s economy.
“These projects are expected to drive economic growth by creating direct and indirect employment, stimulating supply chains and services, and boosting the competitiveness of the national logistics ecosystem and related sectors such as ports and aviation. They will also support the ongoing development of Duqm and its surrounding industrial zone,” Al Maamari stated.
OQ’s portfolio already includes major strategic assets such as the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (now the OQ Polymer Complex), the Duqm Refinery, LPG and ammonia plants in Salalah, and infrastructure entities like Oman Tank Terminal Company (OTTCO) and Marafiq. Collectively, these developments represent investments exceeding RO 7.7 billion (approximately $20 billion).
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OQ’s ambitious new projects, including the Oman Petrochemical Complex and critical pipeline infrastructure, signal a strategic shift towards optimizing Oman’s hydrocarbon value chain and enhancing export flexibility, particularly through the Duqm energy corridor. For businesses, this creates vast opportunities in industrial growth, logistics, and supply chain services, while smart investors should closely monitor OQ’s expanding portfolio to capitalize on Oman’s evolving energy landscape and its push for value-added downstream developments.
