By: Zawya

Environmental sustainability is a key defining feature of Oman’s largest copper mining endeavour, the Mazoon Copper Project, according to Mattar bin Salim al Badi, CEO of Minerals Development Oman (MDO).

The project, developed by Mazoon Mining, a subsidiary of MDO, is located in Yanqul (Al Dhahirah Governorate) is expected to produce around 115,000 tonnes of 21.5% copper concentrate annually starting in 2027.

In an interview with Oman General Radio, Al Badi the CEO shared that the project was designed with environmental responsibility from the outset. “The Mazoon Project was designed with environmental responsibility at its foundation. We’re using dry stacking — an environmentally sound method for managing mine waste — which significantly reduces water usage and lowers emissions. This approach gives investors strong confidence in Oman’s position as a credible copper-exporting country,” the CEO explained.

According to Al Badi, while the project remains the largest in the Sultanate, it is not considered a large-scale project by global standards. "The Mazoon Copper Project is, of course, the largest in the Sultanate in terms of production and also in terms of investment value. But by global standards, it is not considered a large-scale project,” he said.

“However, its strategic importance for us lies in the fact that it places the Sultanate among the countries exporting this important raw material. Especially when we talk about copper — it is currently one of the critical minerals, and there is a global race to mine copper,” he said.

Earlier this year, Mazoon Mining announced that it had secured RO 104 million in funding from a consortium of local and regional banks.