Oman awards fourth A’Sharqiyah mining concession

MUSCAT: Oman signed its fourth mining concession in North A’Sharqiyah on Thursday, granting a new licence to explore manganese and associated minerals as the Sultanate steps up efforts to expand its minerals sector under Oman Vision 2040.
The Ministry of Energy and Minerals signed the concession agreement for area 25-B with Majan Manganese, a mining venture involving an Omani partner and an Iranian partner.
The 747-square-kilometre block was offered through the ministry’s Taqa platform and is considered promising for manganese and associated minerals. The concession area includes diverse geological formations, including the Hawasina sequence, ophiolite rocks and sedimentary deposits.
Under the agreement, the company will carry out an exploration programme over an initial period of two to three years, with planned investment exceeding RO1.5 million.
The programme includes topographic, geochemical and geophysical surveys, as well as geological mapping covering about 90 per cent of the concession area. Drilling and trenching will also be undertaken to collect geological data across between 50 per cent and 70 per cent of the block.
Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, said the agreement forms part of the ministry’s strategy to strengthen mineral exploration and make better use of Oman’s natural resources by creating an attractive environment for quality investment.
He said concession area 25-B was one of the promising mineral zones in North A’Sharqiyah and that advanced exploration would help assess its commercial potential and open the way for new investment in mineral-based industries.
Al Aufi said the agreement was the fourth mining concession signed in North A’Sharqiyah as part of wider efforts to develop the governorate’s mineral resources, including copper, chromium, manganese and laterite.
He added that the ministry was continuing to roll out measures to support sustainable growth in the sector, including updates to the legal and regulatory framework, the allocation of economically viable investment zones, and wider use of digital systems to improve transparency and investor access.
The ministry has also introduced an integrated digital platform for managing mining investment procedures, in addition to a comprehensive occupational health and safety guide and specialised training programmes aimed at strengthening national capabilities in the sector.
The company said it was committed to implementing the exploration programme to the highest technical and environmental standards and to supporting the long-term development of Oman’s mining value chain._ONA