omanoil and Sohar Aluminium sign 8.7 million Riyal Diesel Fuel Agreement
Muscat, Oman, November 2007

Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO), one of the leading Omani fuel and lubricants marketing companies has signed a ten-year diesel fuel agreement with Sohar Aluminum for the operation of all vehicles on the Sohar Aluminum site, at the main port and as back up fuel for the turbines at its power station in the event that there is a gas shortage.

Valued at 8.7 million Omani Riyals, the agreement was signed by Eng. Omar Ahmed Qatan, Oman Oil Marketing Company CEO and Tony Kinsman, Sohar Aluminium CEO. The annual diesel fuel consumption by Sohar Aluminium is expected to be in the range of 4 million liters per year approximately.

“This is the beginning of a thriving partnership between Oman Oil Marketing Company and Sohar Aluminium,” expressed Eng. Qatan. “As strategic partners, we will provide expertise in our field to build synergy to make this project a successful world-class facility and contribute positively to the economic growth of the Sultanate. By understanding Sohar Aluminum’s needs, we are able to provide efficient and effective solutions to their fuel requirements with unsurpassed quality of service.”

On the occasion, Kinsman added, “Sohar Aluminium will be the world’s first smelter to pioneer the use of Alcan’s AP35 technology which is considered to be the most efficient and environmentally friendly smelter technology ever with an annual production of 350,000 tonnes of liquid metal. Therefore this Agreement with Oman Oil Marketing Company is of vital importance to the provision of mass fuel supplies for achieving this objective.”

Inline with Oman’s economic diversification strategy, the project will contribute significantly to Oman’s GDP and provide a major economic boost to the Al Batinah region. As a shareholder, omanoil shares interests in numerous and various projects which include gas transmission, petroleum retailing as well as Aluminium smelting.