Oman opens bidding for five oil and gas concessions

Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals has announced the offering of five concession areas in the oil and gas sector for competitive bidding to local and international petroleum companies

The five concession areas are distributed across a wide geographical area and have significant geological potential, according to the Ministry. They are as follows:
· Blocks 12 and 16: Located in the “Greater Barik Area” in central Oman, covering areas of 5,050 sq km and 4,496 sq. km respectively.
· Block 55: Located in the “Eastern Flank Province”, spanning an area of 7,564 sq. km.
· Blocks 42 and 45: Located in the “Sharqiyah Sands Basin” and surrounding areas, with Block (42) covering 30,682 sq. km and Block (45) covering 5,483 sq. km.

The Ministry explained that the application process goes through several stages, including reviewing the available opportunities, registering and submitting the required documents, obtaining the technical data, and then submitting proposals through the designated platform before the deadline. Companies interested in participating can review the tender details through the tender website via the QR Code. Registration will commence on 12 April 2026 and continue until 30 September 2026, with results to be announced following the completion of the technical and financial evaluation of the submitted bids.

The Ministry affirmed that the bid round is part of its ongoing approach to enhancing the investment environment and improving transparency, thereby contributing to attracting quality investments, strengthening international partnerships, transferring modern technologies, and maximising the added value of the oil and gas sector, while supporting sustainability and enhancing the sector’s contribution to the national economy, in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.

The launch of the bid round follows the signing of a concession agreement in February between Oman's Ministry of Energy and Minerals and a joint venture of OQ Exploration and Production and Malaysian group Petronas for offshore block (18) in the Sea of Oman covering a 21,000 sq km area, which offers significant frontier exploration potential across diverse geological settings, from shallow to ultra-deep water.