WorleyParsons, a leading global engineering services group, said it has won an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract to develop the first major antimony roaster in Oman.

The contract was awarded by Strategic Precious Metals Processing (SPMP), an Oman registered company, to develop the first major antimony roaster outside China.
 
The sultanate's sovereign wealth fund Oman Investment Fund (OIF) and Tri-Star Resources each have a 40 per cent equity interest in SPMP, while DNR Industrials holds the remaining 20 per cent stake.

As per the deal, WorleyParsons said its Omani subsidiary, with support from WorleyParsons RSA, will build the Oman Antimony Roaster (OAR) plant.

WorleyParsons Oman Engineering has been operating in the country for over 25 years in multiple business sectors and has two offices in the sultanate that employ over 1 000 people.

The project highlights WorleyParsons’ ability to leverage off its global network, drawing on engineering, procurement and construction management skills from three of the company’s locations around the world, said a senior official.

"WorleyParsons Oman Engineering’s in-depth understanding of the challenges of operating in the Omani market and the team’s insight and advice to the customer, combined with the wealth of technical expertise from WorleyParsons RSA and Australia, played a key role in securing the contract," remarked Dhirendra Ghoorah, the senior project manager for WorleyParsons RSA.

WorleyParsons RSA, he stated, will execute the engineering and procurement scope from South Africa in conjunction with WorleyParsons in Australia (Adelaide and Perth).

“SPMP had already undertaken to select the majority of their vendors from South Africa, so the proposal emphasised our dual presence in South Africa and Oman, as well as our highly skilled resources, vendor engagement experience required on the project and the ability for the client to leverage WorleyParsons’ system tools and procedures,” said Ghoorah.

The Omani company is set to invest $70 million on establishing the 20 000-tonnes-per-annum-capacity antimony and associated products plant at Sohar, located within the free port zone of Oman.

The WorleyParsons Oman Engineering team, which played a key role in pursuing this strategic customer and which provided support and advice to the customer throughout the discussions leading to the award, will be fulfilling the construction management scope with strong support from both WorleyParsons RSA and Australia, he added.-TradeArabia News Service