Muscat – OQ Exploration and Production (OQEP) on Tuesday announced the successful commissioning of the Bisat-C Expansion Facilities in its flagship Block 60 licence. Crude oil officially began flowing to the project on June 16, 2025 – a milestone that underscores OQEP’s operational excellence as well as the collaborative effort and commitment of all stakeholders in delivering a large-scale energy infrastructure project ahead of schedule.

The Bisat-C expansion represents a strategic enhancement to OQEP’s upstream portfolio, significantly boosting oil processing capacity and supporting the company’s vision for sustainable energy development.

The project commenced with the contract award on January 10, 2024, followed by groundbreaking in March 2024, and achieved first oil in less than 18 months. This early delivery highlights the high level of coordination, planning, and technical execution that characterised the project from inception to completion, OQEP said in a press statement.

Enerflex acted as the main contractor, with Omani firms Majees Technical Services and Special Technical Services (STS) serving as subcontractors for the project.

The expanded facilities are designed to process an additional 447,000 barrels per day of gross fluids, with an oil train processing capacity of 37,000 barrels per day and produced water treatment capacity of 410,000 barrels per day. This brings Bisat-C’s total oil processing capacity to 67,000 barrels per day – a substantial increase that reflects the continued growth and maturity of OQEP’s production portfolio.

According to OQEP, health, safety, and environment (HSE) were central to the project’s delivery. At peak activity, the site workforce reached 1,200 between February and June 2025, with three million safe man-hours achieved without a single Lost Time Injury (LTI). In addition, two million kilometres were driven during the project without a Road Traffic Accident (RTA), underlining OQEP’s strong commitment to safety standards across its operations.

The Bisat-C expansion has also delivered significant in-country value (ICV), with RO24.6mn spent locally on SMEs, Made in Oman goods, and services from domestic suppliers – further strengthening Oman’s supply chain ecosystem. Moreover, 23 Omani graduates were trained and recruited, underscoring the project’s contribution to national talent development.

From a construction perspective, 486 piles – each 12 metres deep – were installed to support the facility’s tanks. The largest tank, for produced water, has a capacity of 27,784 cubic metres (approximately 174,700 barrels), measuring 48.7 metres in diameter and 14.8 metres in height. Other key processing units include a gas flotation tank (15 metres in both height and diameter), a gross inlet separator measuring 27.5 metres in length and 4.6 metres in diameter with a weight of 145 tonnes, as well as a heater treater and desalter package with a daily capacity of 40,400 barrels, and a containerised substation building. For enhanced reservoir management, the water injection pumps deliver a flow of 1,130 cubic metres per hour at 90 barg, powered by a 4MW system.

Innovative construction techniques were pivotal to the project’s success. Pre-cast Rapid Wall technology enabled the completion of key structural elements in just 25 days compared to the 60 days required by conventional methods. Modular pipe-racks were erected in three days instead of the typical three weeks, ensuring efficiency and continuity during phases of concurrent brownfield operations.

Despite a tight schedule, the project faced challenges including supply chain disruptions, productivity constraints, and adverse weather such as heavy rainfall, sandstorms, and strong winds, OQEP noted.

‘The project team mitigated these risks through proactive measures, including the introduction of night shifts, innovative construction techniques, and revised resource planning. These strategies ensured steady progress while maintaining exemplary safety and performance standards,’ the company added.

The successful commissioning of the Bisat-C Expansion Facilities demonstrates OQEP’s technical expertise, innovation-led approach, and unwavering commitment to operational excellence. It reaffirms the company’s role as a key contributor to Oman’s energy infrastructure and to the sultanate’s long-term economic and industrial development.

As OQEP continues to lead with purpose and precision, the Bisat-C project stands as a model of excellence for future upstream ventures.