The Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production (OOCEP), a subsidiary of state-owned Oman Oil Company (OOC), and Thailand’s PTT Exploration and Production Public Company (PTTEP), have entered into a major upstream agreement.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) both parties will share information and experience in the relevant areas and also exchange technical information and data to identify and progress areas of mutual interests.

The agreement was signed by Isam Bin Saud Al Zadjali, chief executive officer of Oman Oil Company and Somporn Vongvuthipornchai, chief executive officer of PTTEP.

"By way of this MoU, OOCEP and PTTEP will explore potential cooperation opportunities between the two parties to achieve synergy in oil and gas upstream sector," Zadjali said.

"Both parties will discuss areas of mutual interest to identify business initiatives and investment areas," he said.

Somporn, on his part, said: "We are delighted that OOCEP and PTTEP, the two national oil companies, have come up to this MOU. PTTEP has been operating in Oman for over ten years. And it is PTTEP’s intention to explore for more business cooperation and opportunities for mutual benefit of the two parties, both in Oman and Thailand."

OOCEP is one of the core verticals of OOC driving investments in exploration and production in operated and non-operated assets both inside and outside Oman.

Meanwhile, leading construction group Carillion said one of its units has won a four-and-half-year contract extension from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for its integrated facilities management services in Oman.

Carillion Alawi, the UK firm’s market leading business in Oman, said as per the £240-million ($311 million) contract, it will provide integrated facilities management services at 12 locations across the sultanate.

The group’s partnership with PDO began in July 2013 when it was signed up to deliver an integrated facilities management service, focused on providing safe, cost effective services across the PDO concession estate, which inlcudes PDO’s main cotsal estate, and covers an area of some 100,000 sq km.

The range of services being delivered comprises engineering maintenance, projects, catering and environmental services, including cleaning, housekeeping, pest control, landscaping and linen and laundry services, said a statement from the company.

Under this contract extension, which will begin this month, Carillion Alawi will continue to focus on delivering safe, cost effective services by driving cost reduction and efficiency through reducing waste, improving productivity and reshaping service delivery, it added.

Commenting on the win, Carillion CEO Richard Howson, said: "We are delighted to have secured the contract extension for PDO that reflects the strong partnership we have developed with the Omani group."

"It also reinforces our commitment to supporting PDO through the efficient management and operation of its critical infrastructure, using our sector leading ability to provide facilities management services to the oil and gas sector across the Middle East, including operating in the challenging desert environment where the vast majority of PDO’s assets are located," he added.