Oman begins work to develop geothermal energy resources

REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

US oilfield services firm SLB is collaborating with the Omani government to develop geothermal resources in the country.

The Texan company is working with Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals and its sovereign wealth fund, Oman Investment Authority. 

This follows the completion of an extensive project to evaluate data from more than 7,000 oil, gas and water wells, with the objective of mapping sweet spots for geothermal prospects in the country.

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Commissioned by the Omani authorities, the SLB experts assessed surface, sub-surface and well data over three months.

“Geothermal is one of the world’s most promising clean energy resources, and it has a crucial role to play in reaching net-zero targets,” said Houston-based Gavin Rennick, president of SLB’s new energy business.

In the initial phase of the collaboration, SLB’s geothermal consulting team used an artificial intelligence solution to expedite the assessment, sorting and evaluation of the huge volume of data from the Oman oil and gas data repository, and delivered a comprehensive review of Oman’s geothermal potential.

The next phase will include an assessment of the economic feasibility of the development of potential geothermal resources.

“This collaboration between the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Oman Investment Authority and SLB is in line with Oman’s efforts to decarbonise the energy sector and achieve its net zero goal,” said Omani minister of energy and minerals Salim Al Aufi.