Oman has a new energy minister for the first time since 1997. The long-serving Mohammed al-Rumhi has retired and been replaced by Salim al-Aufi in a mini reshuffle. Mr Aufi has held the post of Undersecretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals since 2013. Mr Rumhi is an industry veteran and despite Oman’s relatively modest oil production of around 1mn b/d he held a prominent position within the Opec+ alliance. His quick turn of phrase and often forthright appraisal of industry developments were welcomed by journalists.
Mr Rumhi’s successor has a long track record within the industry, having started out in 1992 at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the state-led entity responsible for around 650,000 b/d of Omani production capacity from the massive Block 6. Mr Aufi has played a key role in developing a roadmap for utilization of Oman’s expanding gas reserves and in particular has pushed forward blue ammonia plans. (CONTINUED - 152 WORDS)