Oman oil minister says excited to be part of Sri Lanka oil refinery project

China Merchants Port Holdings

24/03/2019 05:58

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, March 24 (Reuters) - Oman oil
minister Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy said on Sunday he was
excited to be part of the planned Sri Lanka oil refinery project
on the south coast of the island.
    He earlier joined Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe at the laying of the foundation stone for a $3.85
billion oil refinery that could mark the island nation's biggest
ever foreign direct investment but controversy over who will
build and operate the facility had overshadowed the ceremony. 
    Colombo originally said Oman's oil ministry planned to take
a 30 percent stake in the refinery, which will be built near a
$1.4 billion port at Hambantota that is controlled by China
Merchants Port Holdings  0144.HK . 
    However, on Wednesday, Oman denied knowing about its part in
the plan to build the refinery on Sri Lanka's southern coast.
    The presence of the minister from Oman and his comments at
the ceremony suggest that plans may be back on track, though
there is not yet any clear indication that Oman is taking an
equity stake.
    

 (Reporting by Shihar Aneez
Edited by Martin Howell)
 ((shihar.aneez@thomsonreuters.com; +94-11-232-5540; Reuters
Messaging: shihar.aneez.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net
twitter:@shiharaneez))