ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Oman’s main state-affiliated oil and gas producer said on Friday that operations at the Sultanate’s Mina al-Fahal oil terminal are continuing “normally.” Petroleum Development Oman’s (PDO) confirmation comes after media reports claimed that an explosion, reportedly caused by a suspected drone attack, had led to a suspension of oil loading at the site.
"Petroleum Development Oman confirms that operations at the Mina al-Fahal are continuing normally,” the brief statement read, according to Muscat’s state-run Oman News Agency (ONA).
Earlier in the day Reuters quoted three sources as stating that oil loading had been suspended following an explosion near its mooring berths.
“The explosion occurred between single-buoy mooring SBM 1 and 2 berths due to an alleged drone attack,” the sources said, as cited by the outlet.
Mina al-Fahal serves as Oman’s primary oil export hub, with the capacity to handle up to 900,000 barrels of crude per day, out of the country’s total production of around 1 million barrels per day. The site also hosts PDO’s headquarters.
Further contributing to its strategic importance is its location on Oman’s northeastern coast, facing the Gulf of Oman and lying outside the Strait of Hormuz.
The latter positioning has given Muscat a significant geopolitical advantage, especially after the outbreak of the Iran war, allowing Oman to maintain the safe passage of international supertankers bound for major Asian markets, thereby enhancing the appeal of its crude among global buyers.
