Duqm Refinery strengthens performance, expands output

DUQM: Duqm Refinery has recorded significant improvements in operational performance and production efficiency since its official inauguration on February 7, 2024, marking an important milestone in Oman’s downstream energy sector and the broader Oman–Kuwait strategic partnership that underpins the project.
Engineer Abdullah bin Salim al Ajmi, CEO of Duqm Refinery, said the refinery has focused on building a reliable operational model centred on efficiency, discipline and long-term value creation. Since the start of operations, the refinery has exported 633 shipments of refined products to global markets, including 284 shipments during 2025 alone, reflecting increasing operational stability and stronger export performance.
He noted that one of the refinery’s key achievements has been the expansion of production capacity from 230,000 barrels per day to 255,000 barrels per day, allowing the facility to operate at approximately 110 per cent of its nameplate capacity. This performance highlights the success of ongoing operational optimisation efforts and the refinery’s ability to sustain higher output levels while maintaining reliability and safety standards.
Supply-chain resilience has also improved, with feedstock sourcing expanding from two supplying countries in the early stages of operations to twelve countries currently. This diversification has strengthened operational continuity and enhanced the refinery’s preparedness to manage fluctuations in global crude supply markets.
On the financial front, the refinery achieved a major milestone in March 2025 when lenders released the $4 billion shareholder guarantee after the project successfully passed the lenders’ reliability test. The development signalled strong confidence in the refinery’s operating performance and governance framework.
Al Ajmi added that the refinery continues to support local economic development, allocating about 12 per cent of its 2025 procurement and service spending to local content, particularly small and medium enterprises, reinforcing its role as a strategic industrial anchor within the Duqm Special Economic Zone. —ONA