Construction of the Oman Antimony Roaster (OAR), a $100-million investment by Strategic & Precious Metals Processing (SPMP) is nearing completion at Sohar Freezone, said a report.

The sultanate's first antimony smelter project is set for cold commissioning next month, paving the way for Oman’s elevation into a select group of global producers of a strategically important metal, reoported Oman Observer.

The metal is widely used in the industrial, electronics and plastics sectors.

When operational, the 20,000-tonnes-per-annum capacity project will account for a significant chunk of total global production of antimony products and position the sultanate as a world-scale producer, it said.

The company confirmed that the OAR project remains on budget and on schedule.

SPMP is a joint venture between Oman Investment Fund (the state wealth fund which has a 40 per cent stake in the company); Tri-Star Resources, a London-based mining development firm (40 per cent) and DNR Industrials, a unit of Dubai-based investment and project development corporation Dutco Group of Companies (Dutco), which has the balance 20 per cent stake.