Estate Service Asset - PDO

Petroleum Development Oman
Estate Services Asset
Environmental Assessment
2002 Review and Update
5.5 Climate
Historical meteorological data recorded at Seeb Airport show a mean annual
temperature of 28.7 ºC. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 20.4 ºC at the
minimum (January) to 34.6 ºC at the maximum (June). The extreme temperatures are
as high as 49 ºC in summer and as low as 10 ºC in winter. Relative humidity is usually
high and will be in 90s during the summer months. The mean total annual rainfall is
86 mm, and most of the rainfall occurs during the period of January-March. Fog is
rare and may occur about twice a year.
The mean wind speeds range between 3 and 7 knots, with high wind speeds
encountered during the summer months. The dominant wind direction is northeast
during June-September and southwest during November-January. Close to the
coastline, the wind direction is influenced by land-sea interactions. However, this
effect is quite restricted due to the surrounding hills.
5.6 Ambient Air Quality
Since 1984, limited studies were conducted to assess the ambient air quality in the
MAF area. The early studies were directed toward the monitoring the concentrations
of hydrocarbons and odorous substances in the ambient air. In 1997, MRME&WR
installed a continuous ambient air quality monitoring station in the MAF area near
PDO’s Security Gate No. 2 for monitoring the concentrations of SO 2 and O 3 . Very
recently (December 2002), the MAF industries jointly installed a continuous ambient
air quality monitoring station in the MAF area near PDO’s Junior Staff Camp.
In this station, all pollutants including particulates, NO x , O 3 , SO 2 , CO, HC and
odorous sulphurous gases (H 2 S and mercaptans) are monitored. .
The data available so far are not sufficient to adequately characterise the air quality in
the MAF area. However, based on limited data, it may be stated that the
concentrations of particulates, SO 2 and CO are quite low. The concentrations of NO x
and O 3 are however significant, though still within the maximum permissible limits.
The vehicular traffic on the public highway (Qurum Heights) passing adjacent to the
MAF industrial area is considered to be mainly responsible. Concentrations of HC
and odorous sulphurous gases are noticeable on some instances.
It may be noted that the estate services activities hardly contribute to the ambient air
quality in the MAF and RAH areas. The principal contributors are the mobile
emissions from highway traffic, stack emissions from Oman Refinery Company and
fugitive emissions from PDO’s marine export facilities and petroleum product storage
facilities of Shell Oman Marketing Company and BP Oman.
©HMR Environmental Engineering Consultants C5 - 4
Oman’s Environmental Consultancy
HMR\1501\Estate Services