^{The way for Oman's first asphalt plant, the need for which is being increasingly felt in view of the huge road projects under construction and planned for the future, has been cleared with the government signing the engineering consultancy agreement for the project with an Indian firm.}

^{The $80 million unit, that will come up at the Sohar Refinery Complex, Port of Sohar, is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2010. Currently, the country's entire requirements of bitumen are imported, mainly from Iran and Bahrain.}

The Sultanate's total consumption of paving bitumen products is estimated at around 2,500-3,000 barrels per day (bpd), with the demand expected to reach 5,000 bpd in the next three years.

Initially, the new plant will produce three grades of bitumen — 30/40, 60/70 and 80/90; a fourth grade is likely to be added in the future. The bitumen output will be used for roads, airport surfaces and high elevated places.

"At the moment we are only considering paving bitumen, but we are also discussing the potential for waterproofing and other types of bitumen," Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Yahya Al Haddabi, acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sohar Refinery Company, said after signing the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) deal with R C Verma, General Manager (Marketing) of Engineers India Limited (EIL), in the presence of Oil and Gas Under-Secretary Nasser bin Khamis Al Jashmi, here on Wednesday.

The Sohar facility will consist of a Vacuum Distillation Unit, Bitumen Blowing Unit Reed, Product Storage Tanks, Product Despatch Facilities for truck loading, and pumping facilities. The engineering designs will be completed in seven months, following which a contractor will be appointed to execute the project on an EPC basis.

Haddabi said the bitumen project would further add value to Oman's hydrocarbon resources. "The purpose of adding the bitumen plant in the refinery is to maximum use of the residue. We have residue that goes to the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC). Now part of it will be diverted to the Vacuum Tower (of the bitumen plant). We will then use blowing technology provided by EIL to produce paving bitumen."

Jashmi noted that the government had embarked on an ambitious plan, backed by substantial allocations, to develop the country's road infrastructure.