Oman's oil minister says cyclone unlikely to hit crude, LNG output

Oman's oil and LNG production is unlikely to be disrupted by a cyclone heading for the Gulf country though it may temporarily affect loadings of both commodities and operations of some power distribution, Oil Minister Mohammed al-Rumhi told S&P Global Platts on Oct. 3.

Loadings may have to be canceled for a few hours because of heavy winds, Rumhi said. "Cyclone Shaheen is moving along the coastal area of the Sea of Oman towards the UAE and possibly Iran. Our oil fields are far from this line." He said he doesn't expect any impact on production of either crude or LNG.

Oman, the biggest oil producer in the Middle East outside OPEC and a member of the 23-country OPEC+ alliance, pumped 760,000 b/d in August, according to the latest Platts survey. Oman produced oil below its 771,000 b/d quota, the survey showed. Oman LNG has three trains with a total nameplate capacity of 10.4 million mt/year, according to its website.

"The situation is fluid," the oil minister said. "Will get full assessment later on perhaps tomorrow. I expect some power distribution system to be affected in small towns."

Oman's National Multi Hazard Early Warning System said Shaheen will be accompanied by wind speeds of up to 116 km/hour (72 mph) when it hits the country on Oct. 3, with the cyclone causing heavy rainfall and high waves, according to state-run Oman News Agency.

Meanwhile, the Port of Sohar has suspended operations until further notice due to the weather conditions, it said in an Oct. 3 statement.

"Due to the ongoing adverse weather conditions the sultanate is currently facing, marine operations at the port have been temporarily suspended and will resume once it is safe again. This is in accordance with international standards and the directives received from the government of Oman," it said.