January 26, 2017 [Oman Tribune] - A proposal to route Saudi crude overland to Duqm remains at an early stage and any decision would have to be taken by Oman Tank Terminal Company (OTTCO), which is planning a $400-million crude storage park near the port.
Duqm has the potential to become a regional export hub through a pipeline that would help avoid shipping via the congested Strait of Hormuz and the massive storage facility coming up at Ras Al Markaz is the key to special economic zone’s future.
Undersecretary in the Ministry of Oil and Gas HE Eng Salim Al Aufi told Oman Tribune on Monday that it would be for OTTCO to strike the deal and would involve Oman Oil Company and “the government for access rights” for a pipeline.
“It will be for the Saudis to decide how much oil they wish to pump. But I am not aware of any progress or detailed discussion happening. May be it is still early stage,” Aufi said.
Meanwhile, discussions on the undersea pipeline that is to carry gas from Iran to Oman were going on, he added.
In September, Shell Country Chairman Chris Breeze had told Oman Tribune that Duqm had the potential to become an export hub for Saudi oil.
