The main elements of the scheme cover the design and construction of two gas injection stations for the Zalzala and Sakhiya fields and an 8,000-cubic-metre-a-day (cm/d) enrichment facility for either acid gas removal or as a sweetening plant for gas export. Enriched gas from the facility could also be used for re-injection into the Sakhiya field to improve oil recovery.

A final investment decision on the construction of the first injection station and the 20,000-cm/d oil and gas facilities will be taken once a full evaluation of the Zalzala structure, which is the larger of the two fields, has been completed. Total project costs are estimated to be in the region of $100-million-150 million.

The Harweel cluster comprises nine fields which are earmarked for investment. Work is already under way in the cluster on the construction of a pilot gas injection plant and infield pipelines. The local GPSis understood to be the main contractor on the job.

EOR is a key element in the government's plans to bolster production from under-performing and maturing fields in Oman. The sultanate's production of oil and condensate has fallen to just under 900,000 b/d from 950,000 b/d two years ago and the government is working closely with PDO, which produces about 90 per cent of the country's hydrocarbons, to redress the decline.