Muscat – Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) on Monday officially inaugurated the Yibal Khuff Mega Project (YKP), the most complex and second largest project in size in the company’s history.

Under the auspices of H H Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, PDO celebrated the inauguration of the Yibal Khuff Mega Project at its Mina Al Fahal headquarters. The event was attended by several senior government officials, members of the company’s board and executive committee and representatives from both public and private sectors.

Speaking on the occasion, H H Sayyid Shihab said, “Oil and gas industry remains the main enabler of the national and global economy. Indeed, the production start at PDO’s Yibal Khuff Project is of high strategic value towards meeting Oman’s growing medium and long-term oil and gas demands.”

“This national mega and technically complex project involved Omani skilled workforce who worked on the design, construction and commissioning as well as awarding contracts to Omani companies for the provision of goods and services. It certainly sets an example for the implementation of national projects, especially as Oman witnesses further growth and development in all areas under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.”

Spanning an area of 1.68sqkm within the Yibal cluster area, the YKP is the second largest and most technically complex project in PDO’s history – with COVID-19 adding another layer of complexity over the past two years of construction and commissioning activities. This project will be delivering 5mn cubic metres of gas per day and around 20,000 barrels per day of crude, in addition to extracting 235 tonnes of sulphur per day.

In his speech at the inauguration ceremony, PDO’s managing director Steve Phimister said, “This venture is a world-class addition to our portfolio and was delivered with a remarkable safety record. As we transition to a full-fledged energy company, this trailblazing project will be essential in powering the country, generating revenue for the nation, and funding research and development for renewables and investment in greener energy installations and infrastructure.”

He said, “We are proud of everyone who worked on this project from the company and our contractors Petrofac, Galfar and Arabian Industries as they demonstrated commitment and perseverance to overcome logistical, technical and operational challenges to deliver on promise and ensure this project’s safe and timely delivery.”

The YKP project has achieved several significant firsts, including the first to deliver the tallest column ever fabricated for PDO in Oman.

This ‘Made in Oman’ acid gas recovery unit absorber stands at 48m high, four meters in diameter, and weighs 291 tonnes. The project has also delivered one of PDO’s first Steam Turbine Generators, taking the heat from some of the facilities’ processes and using it to generate steam. The plant will be able to generate 13MW of electrical power, supplementing the 45MW of the Yibal Khuff Power plant.

It is also the first project to allocate a scope for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Around 1,200 Omanis have been employed on site in the construction of the facilities, with a further 200 nationals deployed as fully qualified welders.