Port of Duqm has effectively started the loading of its first shipment of dolomite from the Port’s commercial quay as per the Oman News Agency (ONA). A vessel will be loaded with 3 grades of dolomite in the next few days, totalling a volume of 50,000 tons and will set sail to India thereafter.

The dolomite is produced in a quarry located about 30 kilometres from the Port and proven to have a reserve of over 300 million tons of product.

The expectations are that the mine will produce several hundreds of thousands of metric tons of product per month, of which the lion share will be exported via the Port. Dolomite finds its primer usage in the construction and steel industry, but one can also find applications in the production of ceramics, cement and glass.

Witnessing the beginning of loading, Reggy Vermeulen, CEO of Port of Duqm stated, “One of the three major markets that Port of Duqm is aiming for is the support of the mineral industry of Oman. This first shipment is a key milestone towards port of Duqm playing a significant role in the diversification of the Omani economy”.

“Having flows of minerals going through the Port of Duqm is an enabler for the setting up in the mid-term of a proper mineral related industry cluster offering potentially numerous jobs for Omanis,” he added.

The Port of Duqm is fully equipped to handle these first volumes in a minimum operational lead time and will develop itself further to become a major international export hub for industrial minerals in the next few years.

Apart from Dolomite, other important deposits such as gypsum, silica sand and limestone have also been found in the vicinity of Duqm. These products are expected not only to be exported from the port, but also to feed important downstream industries taking full advantage of Duqm’s prime location in the vicinity of the major shipping lanes and direct main line connectivity to its major export destinations.