The government of Oman has identified Duqm, a port town on the central-eastern coast, as a key region for economic and social development in the country.

Economic diversification is Oman’s strategy and the town’s location – with its proximity to global shipping lines and sandy beaches that overlook the Arabian Sea is attracting investors from around the world.

But just over a decade ago, Duqm was a small fishing village with few tourists. That’s not to say there wasn’t anything to see – located in the middle of the town is a site of national significance: a rock garden with unique rock formations believed to be over 46 million years old.

While preserving the town’s history, Oman is looking forward to a prosperous future. In 2011, the government declared a 2,000 sq. km special economic zone in Duqm (SEZAD), with relaxed economic regulations to attract global investment. It is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa.

Expected to form a cornerstone of the SEZAD is the Duqm Refinery. Petrofac has provided engineering, procurement and construction support for all utilities and offsites (EPC2) as part of a joint venture with Samsung Engineering since 2018. Scheduled to be completed in September 2023, the refinery will process a range of crude oils at a daily rate of 230,000 barrels a day, nearly a quarter of Oman’s entire current daily rate.

THE BIG NUMBERS THAT MAKE IT

The site occupies over 900 hectares of land. For perspective, the fence that Petrofac erected around the land at the start of the project is over 12km long.

Petrofac has constructed over 70 steel tanks on site for storage of water, hydrocarbon, benzene and finally the crude oil processed in the refinery. Most of these are found in the tank farm on site which has nearly 50 tanks in it, the largest of which have a diameter of 60m and a height of 30m. The tank farm occupies a space of almost 30,000m2 and 33,000 tonnes of steel has been used just in the construction of these tanks. Steel has been used because it is strong, robust and has a long lifespan in comparison to alternatives like plastic.

Some of the tanks on site have also been insulated to ensure stability of the substance inside and to prevent any loss. Reducing heat losses also leads to lower CO2 emissions and helps keep potentially hazardous substances from contaminating the environment.

THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND

Minimising Petrofac’s environmental impact while helping the client to manage theirs has been a priority in Duqm as it is on all projects. To reduce the site’s carbon footprint, solar panels have been placed on various buildings, including the warehouse, main administration building and mosque, powering utilities such as building and street lights, automatic gates and cameras. Solar panel modules occupy over 47,000m2 of surface area on site and are expected to produce nearly 8 million kWh of power per year.

The site also has the tallest flare in Oman, used to empty the plant of gas during an emergency. Its height is an environmental requirement as gas that is dispersed through the flare into the atmosphere from height minimises its effect on the surrounding environment. The taller the flare, the less risk it poses for the environment. Many industries, including gas and power plants in Oman, use flares for the same purpose. These flares have an average height of between 90-100m. The flare at the Duqm Refinery is a staggering 180m tall.

THE BIG NUMBERS THAT MAKE IT

The site occupies over 900 hectares of land. For perspective, the fence that Petrofac erected around the land at the start of the project is over 12km long.

Petrofac has constructed over 70 steel tanks on site for storage of water, hydrocarbon, benzene and finally the crude oil processed in the refinery. Most of these are found in the tank farm on site which has nearly 50 tanks in it, the largest of which have a diameter of 60m and a height of 30m. The tank farm occupies a space of almost 30,000m2 and 33,000 tonnes of steel has been used just in the construction of these tanks. Steel has been used because it is strong, robust and has a long lifespan in comparison to alternatives like plastic.

Some of the tanks on site have also been insulated to ensure stability of the substance inside and to prevent any loss. Reducing heat losses also leads to lower CO2 emissions and helps keep potentially hazardous substances from contaminating the environment.

A VALUE TO OMAN

With a hub and long history of projects in the country, Petrofac is established in Oman. This experience is evident in the in-country value that provided through the Duqm Refinery project. Petrofac had a 10% target set by the client at the start of the project to ensure local employment in wide-ranging roles in Duqm which has been exceeded three times over. Petrofac has hired local subcontractors, and working closely with them, have provided training programs aimed at local graduates and lower-skilled workers.

Engagement with the local community has been recognised by SEZAD through numerous awards and certificates. Petrofac repaired roads in Duqm after the Hikka cyclone struck the east of Oman in September 2019 and have provided various improvement works since, including installing traffic lights on key roads.

Using the project’s construction equipment, Petrofac supported the SEZAD with the development of a football and cricket playground for the local community. With partners and subcontractors, Petrofac has also engaged in multiple beach cleaning days. At the most recent beach cleaning day, around 5,400kg of litter was removed from Nafoon Beach, 45km away from Duqm town.