The client had originally proposed that long-residue feedstock for the refinery would be taken from the Mina al-Fahal refinery and other Gulf refiners. The decision to install a topping unit will mean that SRC, wholly owned by Oman Refinery Company (ORC), will be able to purchase crude to produce its own long-residue streams.

JGC drew up the FEED for the 75,000-barrel-a-day refinery. The project management consultant is US-based ABB Lummus Global.

The refinery will supply feedstock to a 340,000-tonne-a-year polypropylene plant, to be built by ORC in joint venture with an international company. ORC has still to select a partner: ABB and Copenhagen-based Borealisare competing for the post.