Marsa LNG – a joint venture between TotalEnergies and Omani group OQ – said it has made significant progress in the US $1.6bn Sohar Port LNG bunkering project. This milestone was achieved through the successful installation of the roof of a crucial LNG storage tank in a highly intricate operation. The Marsa LNG bunkering hub is anticipated to be commissioned between the second and third quarters of 2028.
This project will establish a 1m tonnes per year capacity LNG bunkering hub at Sohar Port and Freezone. Houston-based CB&I, a tank and terminal storage solutions and a McDermott subsidiary, executed the air-raising technique for this complex operation. This engineering process involved using compressed air to carefully lift and position the fully assembled steel roof atop the tank wall. The operation lifted 631t of steel approximately 40m high with precise control, the firm said in a statement.
OQ Exploration & Production (OQEP) reported that the overall construction progress had reached 39%. A significant achievement during the year was the signing of a Natural Gas Sales Agreement with Integrated Gas Company (IGC). This agreement will supply 150m standard cubic feet of gas per day from Block 10, the source of Marsa LNG’s gas equity, to the bunkering facility.
Omani Group is responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the 165,000cu/m of full-containment concrete LNG storage tank and its associated piping. Technip Energies is the EPC contractor for the entire bunkering hub. OQEP, in the region, holds a 20% direct and indirect interest in Block 10, which is operated by Shell.