International companies explore for Omani gas

Signing the draft for implementing a joint program for exploring, producing and marketing natural gas took place yesterday at the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas in Oman bewteen the government, Occidental Oman Incorporated, Neste BV company for discovery and production, Occidental Petroleum Oman Limited, Oman Occidental Oil and Gas Limited company and Amoco Oman Gas BV.

The importance of this project is represented in combining the efforts of these international companies which have lot of experience and high technology in discovering and producing petroleum and has and in intensifying efforts of discovery in the best five neighboring areas of privilege which are of similar features.

The project calls for the companies to make a three-dimensioned survey of 1,700 cubic kilometers in area of privilege and digging discovery wells and it is expected that this project's costs in this discovery stage may reach $25 million.

In the success of the discovery stage in finding economical quantities of natural gas, it is expected to transport the excreted gas to a desert area to be stored there.

The Omani Ministry of Petroleum and Gas hopes these companies' efforts will be fruitful in discovering new petroleum fields, then in contributing to increasing the reserves and production averages in Oman, as well as creating new job opportunities.