Operations at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the country's main oil producer, are returning to normal after a strike by some contractors last week, a spokeswoman for the company said. Government officials, managers for PDO and the contractors, and union representatives agreed that 400 contract workers fired last week after going on strike would be reinstated with full pay, according to Oman's state news agency.
"Extensive engagement with contractor staff who were on strike has taken place over the past few days," the PDO spokeswoman said, adding that there had been no impact on oil production during the strike, which began on May 24. The strikers were demanding better retirement benefits and health insurance, local media reported. It was not immediately clear whether those demands would be met.
PDO is Oman's largest oil exploration and production company, accounting for over 70 percent of oil production and nearly all natural gas output. The company is 60 percent owned by the government while Royal Dutch Shell holds 34 percent. Oman is a small oil producer with output of around 908,000 barrels per day in March, according to official figures. It also exports gas to Asia.
