ENERGY OVERVIEW FOR THE SULTANATE OF OMAN

Since 1967, exporting crude oil has been the leading hard-currency ear ner for Oman: similar to 9x10(5) barrels of crude oil per day being ex tracted in 1997. The total remaining oil reserves, which can be harnes sed economically now, amount to approximately 5.2x10(9) barrels, but t his commercially-available resource is expected to be depleted complet ely by the year 2015. The second most important source of energy in th e country is natural gas. present economically-harnessable reserves ar e approximately 724x10(9) Nm(3). In 1994, the amount extracted was mer ely 2.4x10(9) Nm(3). This resource is expected to be exhausted by the year 2064. From 1990 to 1995, the Government-run electricity-generatio n power-capability rose from 1277 to 1642 MW: the peak demand has grow n simultaneously by 59%. The total-power generation in 1995 was 6500 G Wh, while the annual consumption was 6173 GWh; the domestic sector acc ounting for approximately 60% of the total consumption. The rate of en ergy consumption pattern is seasonal in nature, with the mid-summer el ectric demand being nearly triple that of mid-winter. Private cars acc ounted for 54% of the total number of vehicles in Oman in 1994, and th is number is rising rapidly. The associated freedom of choice to use t he private car in order to satisfy the desires for increased mobility and privacy will not be sustainable in the long term. (C) 1997 Elsevie r Science Ltd.