Oman’s upstream aims to rock like its peers
Don’t call it a comeback, newly gas-focused majors have been here for years
Oman has largely missed out on the upstream capex boom underway in neighbouring Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. Muscat’s focus—perhaps prudently given the relative paucity and high cost of the oil reserves on which its budget depends—has been on preparing for the day its reserves either run out or are no longer commercially viable. But while not towering over its regional competition, the sector is just getting warmer. In mid-September, majors Shell and TotalEnergies signed an exploration and production-sharing agreement for block 11, neighbour to their existing joint venture in block 10 in the central Al-Wusta governorate. In the latter, the majors were committing with the certainty of being ab
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic






