The Ministry of Energy & minerals was signed remotely a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Environmental Authority, PDO and Be'ah for the establishment of a central facility for the management and disposal of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). The project will be among the first in the region to have a sustainable NORM waste management and disposal solution and is expected to generate significant cost savings. Currently around USD 4.2 million is spent annually on exporting waste outside Oman for disposal. H.E. Al Rumhi stated: “We will ensure that the project is smoothly progressed with strong support provided from experts in this field. We are committed to ensuring that Oil and Gas operators utilise the value of the facility in the most efficient way possible.”The Ministry of Oil and Gas today signed new Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA) with Shell Oman Exploration and Production B.V. en route for having the right to explore and develop the concession Block (55). The Block 55 occupies an overall area of 7564 km2.

The agreement was signed in Muscat on behalf of the Government of the Sultanate by Salim bin Nasser al-Aufi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas. The agreement was also signed on behalf of Shell by Walid Hadi, Oman Shell’s Country Chairman.

The commitment of the company under the agreement is obtaining geological and geophysical studies, 3D seismic acquisition and drill wells during exploration periods.