Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)

Petroleum Development Oman is the foremost exploration and production company in the Sultanate. It accounts for more than 70% of the country's crude-oil production and nearly all of its natural-gas supply. The Company is owned by the Government of Oman (which has a 60% interest), Royal Dutch Shell (which has a 34% interest), Total (which has a 4% interest) and Partex (which has a 2% interest). The first economic find of oil was made in 1962, and the first consignment of oil was exported in 1967.

PDO finds oil fields and develops them into productive assets by drilling wells and constructing and operating various hydrocarbon treatment and transport facilities. The crude oil that is produced from the fields is not sold by the Company but rather delivered to a storage facility at Mina al Fahal, where it is loaded onto sea-going tankers at the discretion of the Company's shareholders. PDO explores for natural gas and operates the gas production system on behalf of the Government of Oman.