We Care Journey to Oman North Omanization

Abstract Oman's upstream oil and gas industry has historically functioned as one of the strongest drivers of national economic prosperity and societal advancement. Beyond its contribution to GDP, the sector has served as a cornerstone for human capital development, offering unparalleled opportunities for skills transfer, advanced technical training, and leadership capability building. As the Sultanate progresses toward the strategic aspirations outlined in Oman Vision 2040, the emphasis on cultivating a highly skilled, competitive, and empowered national workforce has intensified. Workforce localization has therefore evolved from a policy-driven requirement into a strategic national priority designed to ensure long-term sustainability, economic diversification, and leadership continuity across critical industries. Within this context, Occidental Oman has adopted a purposeful and forward-thinking approach to embedding Omanization deeply within its long-term organizational strategy. This approach places particular emphasis on developing leadership competencies, enhancing technical proficiency, and building a resilient workforce pipeline capable of supporting both current and future operational needs. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of Occidental Oman's Oman North Omanization journey, covering the period from 2014 to mid-2025. The Oman North asset portfolio includes Blocks 9, 27, and 65—together exceeding 1.6 million acres—and features carbonate reservoirs of varying geological complexity, dispersed wells, widespread production facilities, and a combination of mature waterflood operations and recently commissioned development areas. Each block carries its own operational challenges: Block 9 demonstrates the behaviors of a late-maturity reservoir with elevated water production and declining pressure; Block 27 displays unique reservoir heterogeneity requiring advanced geoscience integration and adaptive drilling strategies; and Block 65, as a new field, necessitates immediate deployment of technically ready staff and robust commissioning competencies. These conditions created a multidimensional operational environment that demanded a robust and carefully architected Omanization strategy grounded in leadership development, cross-functional exposure, and disciplined succession planning. To address these needs, Occidental Oman developed an integrated workforce development framework encompassing leadership development pathways, structured rotational assignments, competency-based organizational redesign, and a rigorous succession planning system. In parallel, the company executed a targeted hiring strategy that brought 267 new graduates—including 56 from concession areas—into a multi-stage professional development pipeline. This pipeline included a foundational Taasees onboarding program, a two-year rotational development journey, and structured project-based assignments designed to accelerate technical maturity and leadership readiness. Measured outcomes reflect the effectiveness and sustainability of this approach. Overall Omanization increased from 93% in 2014 to 98% by mid-2025, demonstrating consistent progress across technical, operational, and administrative functions. Leadership Omanization achieved even more remarkable success, rising from 94% to 99% during the same period. By mid-2025, all leadership roles within both Operations and Subsurface were fully Omanized. Through disciplined implementation, strategic workforce planning, and a long-term commitment to talent development, Occidental Oman has established one of the most advanced and sustainable Omanization frameworks in the industry. The insights presented in this paper offer a replicable model for other upstream operators seeking to align national workforce mandates with organizational performance, operational reliability, and long-term leadership continuity.