Geological studies of the Wahiba Sand Sea, Oman, for petroleum exploration contribute to wind energy exploitation

During 2004-2010 the authors studied the sand dunes of Oman using trenches, OSL age dating and modern wind data. This work was supported by Petroleum Development Oman to define modern analogs for ancient dune reservoirs that produce oil and gas in the Sultanate. An unintended consequence of our work was the recognition of a band of high wind energy along the East Coast of Oman that might be suitable for commercial wind power extraction, especially during the peak wind season of the Indian Monsoon. Our geological work indicates that this basic wind regime has been in place for at least 200K years, and is thus not a fluke of modern times.