Energy, Minerals Ministry Signs Mining Concession Agreement to Produce 400,000 Tons of Salt Annually
Muscat, 11 Dec (ONA) --- The Ministry of Energy and Minerals today signed a concession agreement with Naqa Salt company for mining in area No. 51-k, located in the Film area in Al Wusta Governorate.
Through the agreement, the company has a mandate to explore an area of 109 square kilometres to produce about 400,000 tons of salt annually.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman by Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals. It was inked on behalf of Naqa Salt company by Dr. Badr Saud Al Kharousi, Chairman of Minerals Development Oman.
The agreement provides for the extraction of salt at a production rate starting at about 400,000 metric tons. The project will include natural evaporation, rinsing and refining operations using modern production techniques in extracting and producing industrial salt.
Construction work is scheduled to begin early next year (2025) and the phase of project development will extend over the next four years in partnership with a foreign investor.
The project is expected to activate industries related to salt ore like bromine, caustic soda, soda ash and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which are basic materials used in various sectors, including chemical and plastics industries, water treatment, energy and construction.
The new project utilizes the latest technologies in the design and implementation of evaporation basins, with emphasis on diminishing the environmental impact and enhancing sustainability.
Al Aufi said that the Ministry of Labour signed a number of mining concession agreements with the aim of producing strategic raw materials like copper, chromium and silica.
Al Aufi added that the agreement seeks to produce sea salt raw materials and link them to converting industries to meet the needs of local and global markets for vital products that are used in various industries, most notably oil and gas.
--- Ends/Bishara/Khalid
