Oman’s gas production crossed 1.5 million cubic feet in 2018

Muscat: Natural gas production in Oman crossed 1.5 million cubic feet in 2018, according to data from the Sultanate’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Production of natural gas in the country stood at 1,617,735 million cubic feet in 2018. Oman’s gas production over the three years before that had hovered close to the 1.5 million cubic feet mark, but never crossed it.
In 2017, that number stood at 1.447 million cubic feet, up from 1.445 million cubic feet in 2016. In 2015, Oman produced 1.408 million cubic feet, and in 204, production was clocked at 1.332 million cubic feet in 2014. In 2013, production of gas was 1.383 million cubic feet, in 2012, it was 1.271 million cubic feet and in 2011, it was 1.228 million cubic feet. 2010 saw gas production at 1.176 million cubic feet, and in 2009, it was at 1.097 million cubic feet.
A statement from the National Centre for Statistics and Information, which was published in their annual yearbook for 2018 said, “11.8 per cent was the increase in the total production of natural gas in the Sultanate. 60.7 per cent of the total uses of natural gas in 2018 was for the use of industrial projects.”
Exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) amounted to 10.4 million metric tonnes in 2018, up from 8.6 million metric tonnes in 2017 and 8.5 million metric tonnes in 2016. Of this, Qalhat LNG exported 3.4 million metric tonnes and Oman LNG exported another seven million. Gas condensate exports stood at 2.39 million metric tonnes in 2018, up from 2.38 million metric tonnes the previous year, but down from 2.54 million metric tonnes the year before that.
The primary in-country use of natural gas produced in Oman was for industrial projects, followed by power generation. Some of it was also used in oil fields. Commenting on this, Dr CK Anchan, a trade analyst in Oman, said, “Developments in Oman are expected to help secure the country’s long-term gas supply, as domestic consumption of this primary fuel resource is expected to rise in the coming years, driven by energy-intensive industrial development and electricity demand growth.
“In 2014 the Joint Suppliers Registration and Certification System (JSRS) was established,” he added. “Devised as a way to create a single supplier pool to provide energy sector operators with easy access to necessary market and industry information, the fully online system also includes e-procurement and contract management functions, as well as a business-to-business connectivity platform called Connect Oman. A mandatory system for both operators and suppliers, the system aims to improve data gathering efficiency and create a transparent marketplace for new business opportunities.
Dr Anchan went on to say: “Due to its success within the oil and gas industry the JSRS has been piloted for use across other sectors of the economy The ongoing expansion of major gas projects, the announcement of new finds and investment in downstream oil infrastructure are expected to support fresh growth in Oman’s energy sector. Oman’s energy sector will expand on the back of new gas investments.”