Purple patch for Muscat’s chemicals ambition
The commissioning of Oman’s largest petrochemicals plant has coincided with Saudi Arabia’s potential rescue of an even bigger one
December may go down as a seminal moment in Oman’s long-held ambitions to create a world-scale petrochemicals industry. The government’s flagship $7bn Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) was belatedly inaugurated by state-owned OQ at the northern industrial city of Sohar—the sultanate’s traditional downstream centre—more than doubling national polymer capacity. Potentially more importantly, and certainly more unexpected, Saudi Arabian petchems behemoth Sabic formally agreed to consider taking over the role of foreign partner on a faltering project to integrate an even larger petrochemicals facility with the greenfield refinery under construction at Duqm, a fledgling economic hub on Oman’
![](/images/white-fade.png)
Also in this section
26 July 2024
Oil majors play it safe amid unfavourable terms in latest oil and gas licensing bid rounds allowing Chinese low-ball moves
25 July 2024
Despite huge efforts by India’s government to accelerate crude production, India’s dependency shows no sign of easing
24 July 2024
Diesel and jet fuel supplies face a timebomb in just four years, and even gasoline may not be immune
23 July 2024
Rosneft’s Arctic megaproject is happening despite sanctions, a lack of foreign investment and OPEC+ restrictions. But it will take a long time for its colossal potential to be realised