The Sultanate's crude oil production, including condensates, stood at 357.1 million barrels during January-December 2018 period, which is an increase by 0.8% compared to an output of 354.2 million barrels for the corresponding period of 2017, according to the latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Of the total production, crude oil production was decrease 1.6% at 317.5 million barrels, while condensates production rose 25.3% to touch 39.6 million barrels.
Oman recorded a daily average crude oil production of 978.4 thousand barrels during January-December period of 2018, the NCSI report added. The average price of Oman Crude surged by 35.8% to 69.7$ per barrel during the 12-month period, from 51.3$ per barrel in the same period of 2017. Oman exported 289.3 million barrels of crude oil in the first 12 months of 2018, against 294.2 million barrels for the same period of last year, decrease by 1.7%. China retained its position as the leading destination for the Sultanate's crude oil exports during the 12-month period, with the country importing 240.3 million barrels of crude oil from Oman.
This was followed by India (21.90 million barrels) and Japan (16.91 million barrels). Oman produced 354.26 million barrels of oil and exported 294.21 million barrels in 2017. Besides, the country's daily oil production stood at 970,600 barrels last year.
Natural gas output
Oman's natural gas production and imports rose 11.8% to 45,721 million cubic meters (MNCM) in the first 12 months of 2018, from 40,908 MNCM for the same period of last year. Of this, non-associated gas and imports registered a growth of 10.7% to 37,684 MNCM and associated gas production rose by 16.9% to 8,037 MNCM, added the NCSI report. A sizable portion of natural gas in Oman is used by various mega industrial projects, which stood at 27,741 MNCM during the 12-month period of 2018, against 23,227 MNCM for the same period of the previous year.
Natural gas is also used in oil fields, either for producing steam water or for reinjection, with as much as 9,512 MNCM in natural gas being used in oil fields, against 8,787 MNCM units consumed for the same period of last year.