SLB Secures Major Five-Year PDO Contracts for Oman's Block-6, Bolstering Local Manufacturing and Long-Term Services

MUSCAT – SLB (NYSE: SLB), the world's largest oilfield services company, has secured a major five-year contract award from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for operations in Block-6, the Sultanate's premier oil and gas asset. The agreements significantly deepen SLB's integration into Oman's energy sector, combining local manufacturing commitments with the deployment of advanced artificial lift and recovery technologies.

The cornerstone of the deal is the establishment of local wellhead manufacturing capacity within Oman, a move aligned with the country's In-Country Value (ICV) strategy. SLB will also deploy its high-efficiency electric submersible pump systems and compact high-pressure wellheads designed for mature field optimization. This setup ties future revenue not just to equipment sales but to a long-cycle stream of maintenance, monitoring, and field-life services.

"This award is a testament to our long-term partnership model with national oil companies," said an SLB spokesperson. "By localizing critical manufacturing and committing to Block-6's sustained production, we are investing in Oman's industrial ecosystem and its workforce." The program is projected to support hundreds of technical and engineering jobs locally.

For industry observers, the contracts underscore a strategic pivot. While peers compete on project-based work, SLB is cementing its role as a integrated, production-focused partner in key Middle Eastern basins. Block-6, a complex and mature asset, provides an ideal platform for SLB's higher-margin, technology-driven service model, leveraging data analytics and digital surveillance to maximize recovery.

Analyst & Community Commentary:

• David Chen, Energy Sector Analyst at Horizon Capital: "This is a textbook strategic win. It locks in a stable revenue stream for the better part of a decade and builds a local infrastructure moat that competitors like Halliburton or Baker Hughes will find difficult to bypass. It's less about a single equipment sale and more about embedding SLB into the operational fabric of Oman's largest field."

• Maria Rodriguez, Portfolio Manager: "I see this as a solid execution of their 'local for local' strategy. In a region increasingly focused on value retention, SLB is playing the long game correctly. The financials from such integrated service contracts tend to be more resilient through cycles."

• James Keller, Editor at 'The Energy Transition Watch': "It's staggering. While the world talks about decarbonization, SLB is doubling down on fossil fuel infrastructure with multi-decade lock-in. They're dressing it up as 'local jobs' and 'efficiency,' but this is capital deeply committed to prolonging hydrocarbon dependence. Where's the equivalent investment in their New Energy portfolio? It feels like a strategy from a bygone era."

• Fatima Al-Harthy, Omani Engineering Graduate: "As a young engineer in Muscat, news like this is promising. It signals that major international firms are not just extracting resources but building real, technical capacity here. I hope the training and knowledge transfer are as robust as the press release suggests."

The award solidifies SLB's standing in the competitive Middle East market, where long-term partnerships are increasingly valued over transactional relationships. The focus on enhancing recovery from a mature giant like Block-6 also highlights the ongoing global imperative to maximize existing asset output, even as energy transition efforts accelerate.

This analysis is based on publicly available information and corporate announcements. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.