ISLAMABAD, Jan 06: In a desperate search for major discovery, oil and gas Exploration and Production (E&P) companies carried out 4371-km 2D and 1240-sq.km 3D seismic surveys besides drilling 93 exploratory and developmental wells in different potential areas during the year 2018.
“Some wells are under the evaluation process, while 13 new discoveries with overall 105.18 mmcfd gas, 5,358 bpd oil flow have been made in just last four months,” official sources told APP.
Giving a breakup, they said Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) made a discovery in August, 2018 in Sanghar district of Sindh, having flow of 23 Million Cubic Feet Per Day (mmcfd) gas and 91 Barrels Per Day (bpd) oil.
In September, the PPL found an oil deposit with initial flow of 313 bpd in Chakwal district of the Punjab province.
While the same company struck two back to back discoveries on December 3 and 4 in Sanghar and Sajawal districts of Sindh with flow of 18.6 mmcfd gas and 160 bpd oil, and nine mmcfd gas respectively.
Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) made a find in September in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, having preliminary flow of 1.3 mmcfd gas and 550 bpd oil.
Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) also contributed a discovery in September in Kachi district of Balochistan province with flow of 1500 bpd oil.
United Energy Pakistan Limited (UEPL) made five successful drills, one was in Tando A Yar district of Sindh in September under which it found oil deposit having initial flow of 1056 bpd, second and third were in Tando M Khan district of Sindh in October with 6.3 mmcfd and 9.5 mmcfd gas flow respectively, while fourth and fifth were also occurred in Sindh province in October and December with 9 mmcfd and 31 mmcfd gas flow respectively.
Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL) recently discovered an oil reserve in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with initial flow of 27 bpd.
OMV Maurice, an E&P company, discovered gas deposit in Ghotki district of Sindh in September with flow of 6.48 mmcfd.
Answering a question, the sources said the petroleum division was in process of awarding more blocks to E&P companies to tap existing potential of oil and gas deposits in different parts of the country.
They said the companies had planned to drill 90 wells in different areas across the country during the current fiscal year, out of which 50 would be exploratory and 40 developmental.
The government, the sources said, had set an ambitious target to produce 33.50 million barrel (mbbl) crude oil and 1.473 trillion cubic feet (tcf) natural gas through indigenous resources during the current year.
As per the annual development plan, the indigenous gas supply will be supplemented through Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports to the tune of 9.0 million tons, while the supply-demand gap in both oil and gas sectors will be met through import of crude oil and petroleum products.
About promotion of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) sector, they said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority had proposed to grant 33 licences to ensure smooth supply of the commodity in far-flung areas especially during peak winter season.
“In the proposal, 25 licences are for operation/marketing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), storage and filling.”
To another question, the sources said the government was in process of finalizing Shale Oil & Gas and Petroleum policies to re-energize the ongoing exploration activities by extending more incentives to local and foreign companies to achieve autarky in the energy sector.
Following a realistic approach when there is no significant gas discovery since long and the existing reserves are depleting fast, they said a special strategy with regard to gas import was being pursued.
Elaborating, they sources said, import of LNG was already in place, significant progress had been made in Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, while Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project was also being pursued actively.
Now, world's major players were showing interest to invest in energy sector of the country, they said and added that Exxon Mobil, a US-based and one of the world’s largest oil and gas company, has re-entered Pakistan’s market along with joint venture partner ENI for exploration at offshore Indus G-Block called Kekra-I (an ultra deep well), believing that the country had gas reserves for 50 years.
While, a Russian firm – Gazprom International, was poised to start feasibility study for laying a US $10 billion offshore gas pipeline.
Through the pipeline, the firm would supply the commodity to Pakistan from its middle East fields, which would have great potential of regional connectivity.
Accordingly, a memorandum of understanding has reached between Gazprom and Inter State Gas Systems (Pvt.) Limited of Pakistan, marking the world leading Gazprom's formal entry into the Pakistani market.
“Gazprom is a market leader and its inclusion in this project means it will assist in design, construction and operation of this gas pipeline.”
The project envisaged transporting of gas molecules from Gazprom's sources in the Middle East onwards to Pakistan with a possibility in extending it further to South Asian countries, the sources said.
(APP)
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