The Sohar Refinery Improvement Project (SRIP), one of three strategic growth projects being developed by Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (ORPIC), has achieved a major milestone of 20mn man hours without Lost Time Injury (LTI), with 12,000 people on site
Currently under construction and scheduled for commissioning this year, the multi-billion Sohar Refinery Improvement Project is designed to meet the Sultanate’s increasing demand for fuel, and upgrade Orpic’s refining capability in order to further maximise the value of Omani crude. It involves the addition of five new units, improving Sohar Refinery’s ability to process heavier Omani crude oil. When the project comes onstream, current production of fuels, naphtha and propylene will be raised by 70 per cent, and the product range will be expanded.
Ralph Clim, acting COO, Orpic, said, “Safety is our number one priority. We have a diligent and experienced team committed to ensuring the construction and future operation of this project is achieved to its highest standards. We believe that all incidents can be avoided. We have a wide range of tools to help us, but it all starts with our attention and commitment.
Cllim also stressed the socio-economic benefits the project is expected to bring to the country. “Enhancing In-Country Value is an integral part of our growth strategy,” he said. “More than 400 direct, permanent jobs will be created, and around 2,400 Omani contract roles have been offered over the project lifetime. The project is also anticipated to result in local business participation, with an estimated 900 indirect jobs to be generated by the multiplier effect the project will have on the local economy.”
Orpic’s refineries in Sohar and Muscat, as well as the aromatics and polypropylene plants in Sohar, provide fuel, chemicals, plastics, and other petroleum products for the domestic and international markets. Other projects Orpic is undertaking to add value to Oman’s oil and gas resources are the Muscat Sohar Product Pipeline (MSPP), which will connect the Mina Al Fahal and Sohar refineries by pipeline to an intermediate distribution and storage facility at Jifnain; and the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC), which will reroute elements of existing production in combination with additional purchased feedstocks to deliver high value polymer products.
