Oman state energy firm OQ on 3 April announced the start of trial operations of the crude distillation unit of its highly-anticipated 230,000 b/d OQ8 export-oriented refinery in Duqm (OQ 50%, Kuwait Petroleum International 50%) .

OQ8 chairman Hilal al-Kharusi tells state news agency ONA that the trial operations will go through several phases before reaching maximum capacity, with commercial operations slated for late 2023. (CONTINUED - 189 WORDS)