26 January 2010
MUSCAT: Oman India Fertilizer Company (OMIFCO) and Ruwais Fertilizer Industries FERTIL) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding to train Omani nationals to meet future manpower requirements of FERTIL.

According to the pact, OMIFCO will train Omanis to meet the growing manpower requirements of FERTIL. Once equipped with technical skills, these Omani engineers and technicians will be employed by FERTIL.

The minister of commerce and industry and chairman of Oman Oil Company, Maqbool Sultan, was present during signing ceremony, which was signed by Ahmed Salim Wahaibi, the CEO of Oman Oil, Mohammed Rashid Al Rashid, the general manager of FERTIL and CV Venugopal, CEO of OMIFCO.

FERTIL, a member of ADNOC Group of companies, was established in October 1980 as a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and TOTAL, with a shareholding ratio of 2:1 respectively.

Construction of a processing plant began in 1980 and production started in December 1983. The ammonia and urea processing plant is located in Ruwais Industrial Zone, about 235km from Abu Dhabi. The installed capacity of the ammonia plant is 1,000 MTPD and 1,500 MTPD for urea. The plants have fully integrated utility units with storage facilities. The company has been continuously improving its technology and productivity.

Today, ammonia production stands at 1,310 MTPD and urea 1,850 MTPD. Based in Sur, OMIFCO is a joint venture company between Oman Oil Company and two Indian cooperative fertilizer companies IFFCO and KRIBHCO with equal share.

© Times of Oman 2010