Petroleum Development of Oman (PDO) has selected the US-based engineering consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff to devise a strategy for the supply of power to its oil and gas production network.

Parsons Brinckerhoff will explore how PDO can provide power generation and transmission facilities to support its growing oil and gas network. It will complete its report by August.

PDO is an operating company which holds an inland concession for the exploration, drilling and production of oil from Lekhwair and Nahada in Northern Oman to just north of Salalah in the south.

The company is jointly owned by the government of Oman (60 per cent), UK/Dutch Royal Dutch Shell (34 per cent), France’s Total (4 per cent) and Portugal’s Partex (2 per cent).

PDO currently meets electricity demand through the use of 25 gas turbine generators operating in open cycle or co-generation mode. The company plans to install further turbines over the next few years to meet forecasted increases in demand.