Muscat – OQ Gas Network (OQGN) announced on Sunday that it has received regulatory approval for the construction of a new 193km loop line project connecting Fahud to Sohar. The loop line, which will feature a 42-inch diameter, is designed to bolster Oman’s natural gas infrastructure and support regional energy needs.

The project, described as one of the largest initiatives sanctioned by OQGN since the implementation of the regulated asset base framework, is expected to significantly enhance gas supply capacity in the Sohar and Ibri regions. It is aligned with Oman’s long-term energy strategy and OQGN’s infrastructure expansion plans, the company said in a filing to the Muscat Stock Exchange.

Scheduled for completion in 2027, the new pipeline will increase the capacity of OQGN’s northern gas network by 9mn standard cubic meters per day, reinforcing the company’s role in meeting rising demand in key industrial and power sectors.

OQGN, which operates Oman’s sole natural gas transportation network, currently manages more than 4,030km of pipeline infrastructure across the sultanate. The network supplies gas to a wide range of critical industries, including power generation, water desalination, cement and aluminium production, fertiliser manufacturing, and petrochemical plants.

The company, which holds a natural monopoly over the country’s gas transmission system, added that it would keep shareholders informed of any further developments regarding the project.