Muscat: Oman’s refinery output declined 6.8% in the first five months of 2026, with production falling to 89.92mn barrels from 96.52mn barrels in the corresponding period last year, according to preliminary data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The decline was driven by lower production of key refined products, including petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), although output of jet fuel, naphtha and some petrochemicals increased during the period.

Production of Regular (M91) petrol fell 7.8% to 6.81mn barrels, while Premium (M95) petrol declined 2.4% to 5.49mn barrels. Domestic sales also weakened, with M91 sales down 22.9% and M95 sales falling 20.1%.

Exports o M91 petrol, however, rose 21.7% to 1.88mn barrels, while M95 exports dropped 32.8% to 252,700 barrels.

Diesel production fell 8.1% to 29.92mn barrels. Domestic diesel sales declined 11.8%, while exports dropped 11.1%.

In contrast, jet fuel production increased 5.5% to 11.73mn barrels. Although domestic sales fell 20.6%, exports climbed 20.2% to 9.71mn barrels, indicating stronger overseas demand.

Production of LPG declined 5.8% to 4.53mn barrels. Domestic sales fell 21%, while exports edged up 0.5%.

Naphtha output rose 2.2% to 15.6mn barrels, supported by a 7.6% increase in domestic sales. Exports, however, slipped 8.1%.

Production of other refinery products dropped 19.8% to 15.82mn barrels. Domestic sales declined 32.4%, although exports increased 4%.

In the petrochemicals segment, benzene production rose 11.9% to 83,100 metric tonnes, while exports increased 10.8% to 80,500 metric tonnes.

Paraxylene production climbed to 272,000 metric tonnes, from 224,000 metric tonnes a year earlier, with exports rising 8.8% to 275,400 metric tonnes.

Polypropylene production fell 27.1% to 100,800 metric tonnes. Despite the decline in output, domestic sales increased 15.3% to 15,800 metric tonnes, while exports dropped 29.8% to 77,100 metric tonnes.

The latest NCSI data indicate softer refinery activity during the January-May period, although higher production of jet fuel, naphtha and selected petrochemical products partly offset declines in other refined products.