Oil production has transformed Oman from a poor nation into a wealthy oil producer. Oil formed from dead plants and animals millions of years ago. In the 1930s, Oman granted exploration rights to oil companies. The first oil field was discovered in 1963 off Oman's coast and exports began in 1967. Throughout the 1970s, more oil fields were found. Before oil wealth, Oman had few modern amenities like roads or hospitals. Today it produces over 600,000 barrels of oil per day and has a modern infrastructure, though it remains ruled by a sultan.