Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has awarded seven contracts to Omani businesses worth more than $350m in the last three months.

The state-backed oil producer said the deals were part of its In-Country Value investment (ICV) programme to create employment by using local goods and services.

The agreements included pipeline maintenance contracts in central and north Oman to Al-Shawamikh Oil Services and Al-Ghalbi International Engineering and Contracting, and in south Oman to Al-Baraka Oilfield Services.

A five-year deal was signed with Shaleem Petroleum Company to cover hoist service provision in PDO’s southern operations and additional hoist contracts were agreed with local groups CPDS and BOOFs.

PDO is 60 per cent owned by the government of Oman, with UK-Dutch Shell holding 34 per cent, France’s Total owning 4 per cent and Portuguese group Partex the remaining 2 per cent.

Last month, the company awarded a $235m engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Indian group Larsen & Toubro for phase two of its Saih Rawl depletion compression project.