PPL rejects reports of Artificial Island

November 21, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has dismissed recent media reports suggesting the company is reclaiming land from the sea to build an artificial island.

It clarified that the coverage does not accurately reflect the project’s technical scope.

In a statement issued on Thursday, PPL said the ongoing activity is focused solely on enabling safe drilling operations in a highly challenging, tide-affected marshland, rather than developing a standalone offshore island.

The work is part of a technically complex initiative in the southern marshy region of the Sirani Block near district Sujawal. This area has historically remained unexplored due to severe accessibility and operational constraints.

PPL noted that it has already completed 2D and 3D seismic surveys using specialized transition-zone equipment.

Construction is currently underway to support upcoming drilling operations, including the development of loading and off-loading jetties and an access road connecting the off-loading jetty to the well site.

Due to the unstable subsoil and tidal influence, both the access road and the well pad are being elevated by around nine feet to ensure operational continuity during low and high tides.

The well site is located roughly 30 kilometers from the mainland, with a natural 17-kilometer water channel to be used for transporting rig equipment and material via barges. The well is scheduled to be spud in March 2026.

PPL said the clarification aims to set the record straight regarding the nature of the work: “The activities underway relate to enabling drilling in a marshy, tide-affected environment and do not involve the development of any artificial island.”

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