Oman’s oil and condensate production dropped by 2.1 per cent in April compared with the previous month, averaging 898.8 million barrels a day (b/d), according to the Ministry of Oil & Gas.

The sultanate’s total exports of crude rose 0.1 per cent to an average of 832.3 million b/d. The majority of oil was shipped to Asian countries, with China representing 48 per cent of Oman’s exports in April.

In March, the Ministry of Oil & Gas predicted a 2.2 per cent increase in production in 2013, after producing an average of 918.5 million b/d in 2012.

Crude production capacity was expanded last year with the commissioning of gas injections at the Harweel field in December, according to the ministry’s undersecretary, Nasser bin Khamis al-Jashmi.