Pakistan announces oil, gas discovery in northwest as it seeks to cut energy imports

Pakistan announces oil, gas discovery in northwest as it seeks to cut energy imports

KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday announced the discovery of oil and gas in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, saying the find could help reduce the country’s energy supply gap by adding to domestic production.

The discovery was made in the Datta Formation at an exploratory well drilled by the state-run Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in Kohat district. The Datta Formation is a rock layer known to hold oil and gas in parts of northern Pakistan and has been a key focus of exploration activity.

Pakistan faces a widening energy gap due to rising demand and limited domestic output, forcing it to rely heavily on costly fuel imports that leave the economy exposed to global price swings.

“During case-hole Drill Stem Test (DST-02) in Datta Formation (Jurassic age), the well flowed at the rate of 4,100 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and 10.5 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas,” OGDCL Company Secretary Wasim Ahmad said in a letter to the Pakistan Stock Exchange.