State-run Oman LNG has signed a sales and purchase agreement (SPA) with Swiss-based Dutch multinational energy and commodity trader Vitol, the company revealed on May 19.

Under the terms of the deal, the Gulf company will provide Vitol with 800,000 tonnes per year (tpy) of LNG, beginning in January 2026 on a delivered ex ship (DES) flexible basis.

The agreement marks the latest deal for the Gulf sultanate as it seeks to raise its profile as a key Middle East LNG player competing with QatarEnergy and the United Arab Emirates’ ADNOC.

In January, the firm shipped its first cargo under its largest deal ever with Shell that will see it deliver 1.6mn tpy for 10 years until 2034.

“This agreement with Vitol reflects our agility and continuous adaptation to market dynamics. We are pleased to see continued positive market response to Oman’s strategy in gas and LNG,” Oman LNG's chief executive officer Hamed Al Naamany said in a statement.

Oman and Vitol possess a long history of business ties, with the Gulf sultanate providing the firm with crude and other commodities for decades.

Oman’s Qalhat LNG terminal currently boasts three liquefaction trains and a production capacity of 10.4mn tpy.

However, the state-owned company is in the midst of efforts to add a fourth liquefaction train, which would add an additional 3.8mn tpy or LNG capacity. Oman LNG has still yet to announce a final investment decision (FID) on the project.

The company is aiming for the new train to be commissioned in 2028, with an LNG tank, jetty and associated infrastructure also required to be added for the project.

Oman LNG is majority owned by the country’s government with a 51% stake. Shell holds a 30% interest, while TotalEnergies, Korea LNG, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, PTTEP and Itochu all hold stakes of less than 5%.