Oman is preparing to tender the contract to design a refinery project in the central port of Duqm by the end of February, according to industry sources.

State-owned Oman Oil Company (OOC), which is developing the project in a 50:50 joint venture with Abu Dhabi’s International Petroleum Development Company (Ipic), is aiming to complete the estimated $6bn project in 2017.

The 230,000 barrels a day (b/d) facility will be the sultanate’s third refinery, with existing facilities located in Muscat and Sohar. A petrochemicals cluster will also be developed alongside the estimated $6bn refinery, but few details have been disclosed on the scope.

US-based Shaw Group was awarded the project management consultancy (PMC) contract for the feed phase of the project in 2012.