Occidental Mukhaizna LLC, a subsidiary of Occidental and the leading independent oil and gas producer in Oman, has signed a 15-year extension to its Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement for onshore Block 53. Located in south-central Oman, the block is home to the world-class Mukhaizna heavy oil field, which Oxy Oman operates.
The extended agreement strengthens Oxy Oman’s long-standing partnership with the Sultanate and sets the foundation for further development of the block. Under the terms of the amended EPSA, Oxy Oman and its partners anticipate the potential to add over 800 million gross barrels of recoverable resources. This will be achieved through continued drilling, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects, and the application of artificial intelligence to optimise steam flood patterns and maximise hydrocarbon recovery.
The signing ceremony took place in Muscat on 18 May 2025. His Excellency Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, minister of energy & minerals, and Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. The event was attended by senior representatives from the ministry and executives from Oxy, including Kenneth Dillon, senior vice president and president, International Oil and Gas Operations, and Steven Lauver, president and general manager for Oxy Oman.
Vicki Hollub commented: “I am pleased to be here in Oman with His Excellency minister Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi to sign this 15-year extension, which we believe will continue to deliver significant value to all stakeholders while closely supporting Oman’s national objectives. We’re proud of the deep roots, strong relationships, and mutually beneficial partnerships we’ve built in Oman over the past several decades. These partnerships have been central to our shared success, including recent exploration achievements—and that momentum continues to build.”
Since assuming operatorship of the Mukhaizna field in 2005, Oxy Oman has significantly increased production while maintaining a strong commitment to operational excellence, environmental responsibility, and local community engagement. To date, the company has produced over 640 million barrels of oil from the block and operates more than 3,500 wells.
The Block 53 consortium includes Oxy Oman as the designated operator, along with partners OQEP, Indian Oil Corporation, Liwa Energy Limited, and PTTEP.
For more information visit www.oxy.com
