Pakistan, Turkiye dive into offshore oil hunt together

April 08, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan and Turkiye signed a joint bidding agreement on Tuesday to work together in exploring offshore oil and gas in Pakistani waters, marking a major step in energy cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025.

It allows both countries to participate jointly in Pakistan’s ongoing offshore bid round, which was launched in February and offers 40 exploration blocks in the Makran and Indus basins.

Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Turkiye’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, witnessed the signing ceremony.

Three leading Pakistani exploration and production companies—Mari Energies Limited, Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL)—have signed the agreement with Turkiye’s state-owned Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi (TPAO).

“This partnership will bring in foreign direct investment and allow the use of advanced technologies to tap Pakistan’s offshore resources,” Malik said, expressing high hopes for the Pak-Turkiye collaboration. He added that seismic surveys have shown promising signs of offshore oil and gas reserves.

Bayraktar praised Pakistan’s efforts in hosting the investment forum and highlighted the importance of international cooperation in energy development.

The agreement was signed by Ahmed Turkoglu, CEO of Turkish Petroleum Corporation; Faheem Haider, MD of Mari Energies; Ahmad Hayat Lak, MD of OGDCL; and Imran Abbasi, MD of PPL.

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