Oman eyes on boosting minerals explorations

The Government of Oman is planning to explore and enhance the production of minerals including raw materials for the cement industry. According to local media, Oman's mining authorities have identified investment opportunities worth over OMR300m (US$780.2m) that are linked to the exploitation and commercialisation of the country's prolific industrial mineral resources.
 
These minerals include gypsum, limestone, gabbro, marble, kaolin, quartz, clay, basalt, potash and dolomite – non-metallic resources that are found in relative abundance in the country and extensively used in the industrial, construction and urbanisation sectors.
 
Mineral Development Oman (MDO), a mining investment vehicle supported by Omani wealth and investment funds, is also expected to play a key role in the delivery of some of these projects.
 
Oman is currently the largest exporter of gypsum and has high-purity deposits, while global demand for the mineral is expected to burgeon in the coming years.
 
Authorities are banking on new investments to boost exports of limestone, which is used in a number of industries, including cement, sodium carbonate (soda-ash), rock wool as heat insulation material and lime manufacturing.