Oman production plugs on

Strong output, but keeping it there is the challenge

THANKS to the judicious application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques in recent years, Oman has reversed the long-term decline of its crude oil output. Its state-controlled company, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), last year pumped at 0.59m barrels a day, its highest level in a decade. Overall national production averaged 1m b/d last year, well ahead of levels seen ten years earlier. Now the job is to keep output steady for a while longer yet. PDO plans to keep its production at 0.6m b/d up to 2029, though this means digging deep into its cash reserves to sustain EOR activities. In a weak oil market, operating costs of $10-15 a barrel no longer look so cheap, especially compared wit