Omantel has announced a strategic partnership with BP Oman, as part of which the telecom services provider will provide network facilities to the latter’s Khazzan gas project.
BP’s Khazzan gas project is located between the Ad Dhahirah and Ad Dakhiliya Governorates, spanning an area of 2,800 sqkm.
Omantel’s project scope is to design, deploy and maintain a telecommunication systems, ensuring voice and broadband connectivity to cover the populated Khazzan gas field catchment area.
Once operational, the network will be delivering fixed and mobile voice and high speed broadband services for BP Oman and its contractors on site.
During the project startup phase, telecommunication services will be initially supplied through a series of microwave links due to its high flexibly in providing connectivity without getting impacted by the massive project work on ground.
This setup will then transition to a permanently installed fibre optic network in a self-healing rings topology, with the microwave links retained as a system backup.
“The Khazzan field covers some 2,800 sqkm, which is a land area larger than an island like Zanzibar, so the geographic reach of this project is very extensive,” Ahmed Mohammed Al Nasri, general manager of Sales at Omantel Business, said.
“The Omantel Business team has been working closely with BP Oman to map out the communications solution needed to meet their exacting technical requirements as the Khazzan project takes shape.”
The Khazzan gas field-Block 61 is operated by BP Oman with 60% shares in partnership with Oman Oil Company Exploration & Production holding 40%.
The development of the project involves a 15 year drilling programme for around 300 gas wells which will ultimately deliver a daily production capacity of 1bn cubic feet of gas, equal to around a third of Oman’s total daily gas requirement.
Construction work on the Khazzan Project is already underway with the first supplies expected in late 2017.
