In the lead-up to its commercial launch, tentatively scheduled around the turn of the year, new details have emerged that underscore the world-class stature of Oman’s Duqm Refinery – one of the largest greenfield oil refineries in the Middle East.

Notable among the standout features of the multi-billion dollar project of Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company (OQ8) - a 50:50 partnership of OQ Group and Kuwait Petroleum International – is a vast array of solar modules designed to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the massive undertaking.

According to Petrofac, a leading international integrated service provider for the oilfield and hydrocarbon processing industry, solar panel modules currently occupy a total of 47,000 sq metres of surface area at the complex, with a capacity to produce nearly 8 million Kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually.

“To reduce the site’s carbon footprint, solar panels have been placed on various buildings, including the warehouse, main administration building and mosque, powering utilities such as building and street lights, automatic gates and cameras,” the contractor noted in its newsletter ‘Petrofacts’.

A joint venture of Petrofac and South Korea’s Samsung Engineering has been executing the EPC – 2 package of the Duqm refinery project, covering the construction of the utilities and offsite facilities. Petrofac has been providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) support for this package.

Another distinctive feature is a 180-metre flare that soars above the surrounding landscape. The tallest flare structure in Oman, the Duqm flare stack will enable the safe venting of any gases into the atmosphere at a height that minimizes any effect on the surrounding environment. “The flare at the Duqm Refinery is a staggering 180m tall; twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in New York City,” Petrofac noted in the newsletter.

Equally notable is massive cluster of tanks installed at various locations across the complex. As part of its project scope, Petrofac constructed over 70 steel tanks for the storage of crude, water, hydrocarbons and benzene, among other commodities. The Tank Farm alone hosts around 50 tanks, the largest boasting a diameter of 60 metres and height of 30 metres. Covering a total area of 30,000 sq metres, the tank farm alone consumed around 33,000 tonnes of steel for the construction of a diverse array of tanks.

“Scheduled to be completed in September 2023, the refinery will process a range of crude oils at a daily rate of 230,000 barrels a day, nearly a quarter of Oman’s entire current daily rate,” Petrofac added in its newsletter.

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