Chinese firm ZL EOR Chemicals has started production of polyacrylamide, a polymer used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects, at a plant in the Raysut Industrial Zone at Salalah in southern Oman. The plant will produce 15,000 t/y of polymers for sale in Oman, and Gulf markets and is the first of its kind in the Gulf region. The plan is to raise capacity in stages to 70,000 t/y. Acrylamide monomer is produced by processing acrylonitrile, for which the original feedstock is propylene, which is produced in Oman’s two north coast refineries.
State-led PDO has been a ZL EOR customer for several years, deploying their products in several “showcase” projects including Marmul Polymer Phases 1 and 2. Marmul is one of a number of EOR operations viewed by PDO as “key pillar projects in the medium term” (MEES, 9 September 2016). (CONTINUED - 148 WORDS)