A COMPARISON OF OIL PRODUCION CAPACITIES IN OMAN AND MEXICO Oil in Oman was not discovered in commercial quantities until 1962-decades after most of its neighbors. Unlike other Arab oil producing countries, Oman's oil fields are generally smaller, more widely scattered, less productive, and more costly. Moreover, Oman is not a member of OPEC or OAPEC, belonging instead to IPEC (independent petroleum exporter's)("Oman" 1997).
The nation has proven oil reserves of 5.1 billion barrels located in the main fields in the northern and central regions. The primary producing fields are the Yibal, Natih, Fahud, al-Huwaisah, Lekhwair, and Shibkah fields combined contain an estimated 1.8 billion barrels of reserves ("Oman" 1997).
At current production rates, Oman is projected to exhaust its oil reserves by around 2010 (Kaplow, 1998). But there have been successful exploration programs over the past several years resulting in annual reserve increases that have offset production deple
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