Muscat – Oman’s petroleum refinery production declined in the first seven months of 2026, with lower output of diesel and other refinery products outweighing stronger production of aviation fuel, naphtha and premium petrol.

Total refinery output fell 3.7% to 129.083mn barrels by the end of July, compared with 133.99mn barrels in the same period of 2025, according to preliminary statistics released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The decline was led by gas oil, or diesel, production, which fell 6.8% to 43.305mn barrels from 46.475mn barrels a year earlier. Diesel exports also dropped 11.8% to 33.326mn barrels, while domestic sales declined 8.3% to 11.112mn barrels.

Production of other refinery products recorded an even sharper decline, falling 15.9% to 21.974mn barrels from 26.121mn barrels in 2025. Sales of these products dropped 21.7% to 18.316mn barrels, while exports fell 3.1% to 5.615mn barrels.

The weaker overall output came despite solid growth in some higher-value fuel streams.

Aviation fuel production increased 12% to 16.788mn barrels, up from 14.988mn barrels in the first seven months of 2025. The increase was driven largely by exports, which rose 27.4% to 14.516mn barrels, even as domestic sales fell 9.2% to 2.567mn barrels.

Naphtha production also increased 4.5% to 22.609mn barrels, while sales rose 3.2% to 8.333mn barrels and exports grew 2.6% to 14.658mn barrels.

The petrol segment presented a mixed picture. Production of regular petrol (M91) fell 4.5% to 9.629mn barrels from 10.088mn barrels, while sales declined 4.6% to 10.038mn barrels. However, M91 exports increased 9.8% to 1.984mn barrels.

Premium petrol (M95) production, meanwhile, rose 2.6% to 8.319mn barrels from 8.108mn barrels in the first seven months of 2025. Its domestic sales declined 10.6% to 8.855mn barrels, while exports fell sharply by 33.9% to 362,900 barrels.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production fell 3.3% to 6.456mn barrels, with domestic sales declining 22% to 1.764mn barrels. LPG exports, however, increased 3.9% to 2.057mn barrels.

Petrochemicals show mixed performance

Oman’s petrochemical output also recorded mixed results during the January-July period of this year, with benzene and paraxylene production increasing while polypropylene output declined sharply.

Benzene production rose 7.3% to 109,900 tonnes, while exports increased 11.3% to 108,000 tonnes.

Paraxylene production increased 9.6% to 370,500 tonnes from 338,000 tonnes, with exports rising 1.7% to 372,400 tonnes.

Polypropylene production, however, fell 25.4% to 149,900 tonnes from 200,800 tonnes. Exports declined 17.9% to 122,300 tonnes.

NCSI statistics also reported polypropylene sales at 23,500 tonnes, describing this as a 32.1% increase from the corresponding period of 2025.