Commercial operation of Sohar Refinery Improvement Project expected in second quarter of 2017

Muscat: Commercial operations of Sohar Refinery Improvement Project are expected by the early part of the second quarter of 2017.
The expanded capacity will be stabilised for sustained operations by the end of the same quarter, according to a senior official of Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic), which owns the Sultanate’s two refineries.
“Construction activities are in the advanced stage of completion for major units and likely to be completed by end of 2016. Commissioning activities have already been started for utilities facilities,” said Christiaan van der Wouden, chief operating officer of Orpic.
Sohar Refinery Improvement Project (SRIP) is one of the three strategic growth projects undertaken by Orpic and is being delivered in response to the need to upgrade Orpic’s refining capability to further maximise the value of Omani crude oil.
“Once SRIP becomes fully operational, crude processing capacity of Sohar Refinery will increase by around 70 per cent and production of major high value products will increase from 34 per cent to 159 per cent,” he added.
After completing the project, crude refining capacity will surge ahead by 72 per cent to 28,222 metric tonnes per day, while production of gasoline (petrol) and gasoil (diesel) will grow by 43 per cent and 141 per cent, respectively. Also, production of LPG, naphtha, kerosene and propylene will increase by 93 per cent, 159 per cent, 98 per cent and 56 per cent.
Sohar Refinery Improvement Project is one among three major projects undertaken by Orpic to achieve its vision of building an Omani integrated refining and petrochemical business. The other two major projects, which are currently under implementation, are Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) and Muscat-Sohar Product Pipeline.