16 May 2012
Muscat: Freezone Sohar will sign an agreement with Gulf Mining Group today to set up a plant for producing ferro chrome.
This will be the second project, after Al Taman Indsil Ferro Chrome's (supported by India's Indsil group), plans to build a large project within Sohar free zone.
According to sources, the fully-owned Omani company Gulf Mining Material Company -" is planning to set up a 50,000-tonne per annum ferro chrome project. It will take 12 to 14 months to complete the venture, after starting construction work.
The project will play an important role in boosting Oman's position in global chrome business. Oman has vast reserves of chrome ore and the country constitutes about 11 per cent of the global chrome trade.
The signing event will be conducted under the patronage of Sheikh Sa'ad bin Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Sa'adi, Chairman of the board of Port of Sohar.
Gulf Mining has played a major role in establishing Omani chrome ore in the world market. Starting off on a modest scale in 2005, it has now emerged as one of the largest producer and exporter of chrome ore.
The group offers chrome ore in lumpy and fines form with chrome content ranging from 24 per cent to 42 per cent.
With a view to add value and to meet customer expectations, the group has set up the first-ever chrome upgradation plant in Oman with a monthly processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes.
The plant offers chrome ore concentrates of purity 38 per cent and above. Gulf Mining also manages iron ore and laterite mines in Oman and has long-term contracts to supply the material to users internationally. The group also manages manganese ore mines in Egypt, according to the company's website.
In fact, a joint venture between India-based Indsil Group and Muscat Overseas Group last year said it was building a world class ferro chrome smelter within Sohar free zone with an initial capacity to produce 75,000 tonnes per annum (tpa).
The initial two smelters, with an investment of $35 million, are expected to commence production by December 2012, and the ferro chrome capacity will be scaled up to 150,000 tpa in the second phase.
The new joint venture Al Taman Indsil Ferro Chrome, coming up in a 15 hectare plot at the Sohar free zone, is the first ferro chrome project in the Sultanate.
Muscat: Freezone Sohar will sign an agreement with Gulf Mining Group today to set up a plant for producing ferro chrome.
This will be the second project, after Al Taman Indsil Ferro Chrome's (supported by India's Indsil group), plans to build a large project within Sohar free zone.
According to sources, the fully-owned Omani company Gulf Mining Material Company -" is planning to set up a 50,000-tonne per annum ferro chrome project. It will take 12 to 14 months to complete the venture, after starting construction work.
The project will play an important role in boosting Oman's position in global chrome business. Oman has vast reserves of chrome ore and the country constitutes about 11 per cent of the global chrome trade.
The signing event will be conducted under the patronage of Sheikh Sa'ad bin Mohammed Al Mardhouf Al Sa'adi, Chairman of the board of Port of Sohar.
Gulf Mining has played a major role in establishing Omani chrome ore in the world market. Starting off on a modest scale in 2005, it has now emerged as one of the largest producer and exporter of chrome ore.
The group offers chrome ore in lumpy and fines form with chrome content ranging from 24 per cent to 42 per cent.
With a view to add value and to meet customer expectations, the group has set up the first-ever chrome upgradation plant in Oman with a monthly processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes.
The plant offers chrome ore concentrates of purity 38 per cent and above. Gulf Mining also manages iron ore and laterite mines in Oman and has long-term contracts to supply the material to users internationally. The group also manages manganese ore mines in Egypt, according to the company's website.
In fact, a joint venture between India-based Indsil Group and Muscat Overseas Group last year said it was building a world class ferro chrome smelter within Sohar free zone with an initial capacity to produce 75,000 tonnes per annum (tpa).
The initial two smelters, with an investment of $35 million, are expected to commence production by December 2012, and the ferro chrome capacity will be scaled up to 150,000 tpa in the second phase.
The new joint venture Al Taman Indsil Ferro Chrome, coming up in a 15 hectare plot at the Sohar free zone, is the first ferro chrome project in the Sultanate.
© Times of Oman 2012
