MDO expands Oman’s mining assets

Minerals Development Oman (MDO) is moving ahead with mining projects to exploit the sultanate’s reserves of titanium, copper, chromite and dolomite, according to the state-owned company’s annual report.

Nearly 30 percent of engineering work has been completed at the Mazoon Copper project, which was launched last year, the company said in the 2024 report.

Tenders for the supply of mechanical equipment for the processing plant have been issued, the report said, adding site that preparation contracts are in the bidding phase.

The Sohar Titanium project, designed to produce 150,000 tonnes of titanium dioxide annually, is under construction, with civil, mechanical, and electrical works ongoing. MDO holds a 35 percent stake and has an investment of OMR63.4 million ($165 million).

Negotiations for the final agreements are progressing on the OMR290 million Ash Shuwaymiyah industrial minerals project in the south of the sultanate.

In the second quarter of 2024, MDO completed an economic feasibility study for port and mining activities related to gypsum, limestone, and dolomite ores.

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The company is currently focused on optimising capital expenditure for the port, with consultants expected to complete initial cost estimates by the third quarter of 2025.

The mining major operates 14 concession areas spanning 23,763 sq km. the company drilled across more than 48,000 sq m in 2024, leading to the finding of 467,000 tonnes of chromite, 111 million tonnes of high-purity silica, and 242 million tonnes of dolomite.

Drilling at Maydan, 45 km northwest of the Yanqul Project in the northwest of Oman, will target advanced resource and reserve estimation in 2025, the report said.