In a major milestone for the region’s energy sector, TotalEnergies and OQ Exploration and Production (OQEP) have officially broken ground on the Marsa LNG plant in Sohar, northern Oman. The ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy & Minerals of Oman, with Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, and Ahmed Al Azkawi, CEO of OQEP, in attendance.
This follows the Final Investment Decision made just a year ago. The facility, being developed by Marsa LNG LLC (a joint venture of TotalEnergies at 80% and OQEP at 20%), will have a production capacity of 1 million tons per year, with operations expected to begin in early 2028. Its primary focus will be to serve the LNG bunkering market in the Gulf region.
“This flagship project demonstrates that LNG production can be very low carbon… We aim to set the standard for future low-emissions LNG plants globally,” said Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of TotalEnergies.
A New Standard in Low-Carbon LNG Production
The Marsa LNG facility is designed to be one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG plants in the world. It will be fully electrified and powered by a 300 MWp solar farm, resulting in emissions of less than 3 kg CO₂e/boe for scope 1 and 2—90% lower than the global industry average.
The First LNG Bunkering Hub in the Middle East
Strategically located at the entrance of the Gulf, the Marsa LNG plant will also be home to the region’s first LNG bunkering hub. A specially constructed bunkering vessel named Monte Shams, after Oman’s Jabal Shams, will be stationed in Sohar from 2028. It will supply LNG to a range of vessels including container ships, tankers, and cruise ships.
With LNG as a proven transition fuel, the maritime industry stands to benefit from significant GHG emission reductions, enhanced by local production and distribution from one of the cleanest LNG facilities worldwide.
