Energy use inOman was 381 TWh in 2020, almost double the consumption in 2010.[1]
Oman is a country in theMiddle East. Its currentGDP per capita has expanded continuously over the past 50 years. It grew 339% in the 1960s and reached a peak growth of 1,370% in 1976.[citation needed]. Oman both imports and exports energy.
When Oman declined as an entrepot for arms andslaves in the mid-19th century, much of its former prosperity vanished; the economy turned almost exclusively toagriculture, camel and goat herding, fishing, and traditionalhandicrafts. Today,petroleum (oil) exports fuel the economy. Revenues from petroleum products have enabled Oman's dramatic development and modernization over the past 300 years.
| Energy in Oman[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capita | Prim. energy | Production | Export | Ammunition | CO2-emission | |
| Million | TWh | TWh | TWh | TWh | Mt | |
| 2004 | 2.5310 | 138 | 676 | 549 | 9.72 | 25.261 |
| 2007 | 2.60 | 180 | 689 | 484 | 12.22 | 35.85 |
| 2008 | 2.79 | 191 | 738 | 497 | 13.63 | 34.92 |
| 2009 | 2.85 | 175 | 782 | 593 | 15.52 | 38.95 |
| 2010 | 2.78 | 233 | 839 | 617 | 16.51 | 40.27 |
| 2012 | 2.85 | 294 | 855 | 576 | 19.03 | 63.48 |
| 2012R | 3.31 | 306 | 881 | 589 | 21.61 | 67.63 |
| 2013 | 3.63 | 283 | 880 | 584 | 23.37 | 57.92 |
| Change 2004–10 | 9.9% | 69.1% | 24.2% | 12.4% | 69.9% | 59.4% |
| Mtoe = 11.63 TWh, Prim. energy includes energy losses 2012R = CO2 calculation criteria changed, numbers updated | ||||||
Oil was first discovered in 1964, nearFahud in the western desert.Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) began production in August 1967. The Omani Government owns 60% of PDO, and foreign interests own 40% (Royal Dutch Shell owns 34%; the remaining 6% is owned byTotal andPartex). In 1976, Oman's oil production rose to 366,000 barrels (58,000 m³) per day but declined to about 285,000 barrels (45,000 m³) per day in the late 1980s due to the depletion of recoverable reserves. From 1981 to 1986, Oman compensated fordeclining oil prices by increasing production levels to 600,000 b/d; however, when oil prices collapsed in 1986, revenues dropped dramatically. Production was cut back temporarily in coordination with theOrganization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Production levels again reached 600,000 b/d by mid-1987, which helped increase revenues.Oman's economic performance improved significantly in 1999 due largely to the mid-year upturn inoil prices. The government moved ahead withprivatization of its utilities, and the development of the commercial law to encourage foreign investment. Omanliberalized its markets in an effort to join theWorld Trade Organization (WTO) and was accepted in 2000. By the mid-2000s, production had climbed to more than 900,000 b/d and where they remain. Oman is not a member of OPEC.
In November 2017, Oman Oilfield received steam generated from 1,021 MWth solar thermal plant.[10]
Oman LNG is anLNG plant in operation since September 2000. It is supplied with gas in central Oman from Saih Rowl, the gas field is operated byPetroleum Development Oman (PDO).
Since oil and gas account for 60% of Oman's energy exports, the nation has begun to diversify its energy use using renewable hydrogen produced byelectrolysis of desalinated seawater. In 2022, the government formed Hydrogen Oman (HYDROM) as an autonomous body to lead and administer its hydrogen policy. 1,500 square km of land have been set aside for development thus far.[11]
A 588 MW solar PV plant opened in 2024, the country's largest.[12]
