Another oil and gas discovery in Pakistan

One of Pakistan leading oil and gas exploration and production company, Mari Petroleum Company Limited announced has struck another significant crude oil, condensate and natural gas discovery at Kalabagh well located in Karak block of Mianwali district, Punjab.

This joint venture in Karak is operated by Mari Petroleum with a 60% working interest and MOL having a 40% share. The discovery at Kalabagh-1A ST1 is the second for the company in the block in Datta, Samanasuk and Lockhart formations. Earlier, it made a major crude oil discovery in the block at Halini well-I in 2011.

During testing at Kalabagh well, gas and condensate flowed in the Datta formation at a rate of 3.3 million cubic feet per day (mmscfd) and 160 barrels per day respectively.

The well was also successfully tested in the Samanasuk formation where gas and condensate flowed at a rate of 4.68 mmscfd and 180 barrels per day. In the Lockhart formation, crude oil flowed at a rate of 500 barrels per day.

Additionally, the company is drilling third exploratory well Halini Deep-I in the block, which is currently at the depth of 5,669 meters and is amongst the very few wells being drilled down to such deep depth.

 

Russia enters Pakistan in search of oil and gas

Russia is expected to soon return to Pakistan’s petroleum sector after five decades with fresh investment commitments in new exploration and development techniques and construction of cross-country pipelines.

While the two countries are at an advanced stage of talks on a government-to-government contract of a 1,100-kilometre gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore with an estimated cost of US$2.5 billion, some Russian companies are preparing to enter Pakistan’s exploration and development sector.

Reportedly a leading Russian petroleum company, JGC Rosgeologia (Rosgeo) has recently signed non-binding agreements with two public sector exploration and development companies for investment cooperation. The MoU was signed by KPOGCL’s CEO Raziuddin Razi and Rosgeo’s CEO Roman S. Panov. The two firms would promote the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the above areas.

According to the MoU signed with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company Ltd (KPOGCL), Rosgeo from Moscow will extend long-term cooperation in KP’s exploration and production (E&P) sector. The two firms would jointly bid for fresh exploration and concession blocks in upcoming transactions and acquire shareholding from existing companies.

The KPOGCL was created after the 18th Constitutional Amendment to share with federal government ownership of oil and gas rights. In 1961, Pakistan set up its largest E&P firm, the Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL), with the financial and technical support of the then USSR technical experts. The cooperation remained almost non-existent for decades due to diplomatic reasons.

The agreement envisages long-term cooperation between the two companies to perform various E&P activities, including geological and geophysical field works, 2D and 3D seismic data acquisition, drilling and related services, warehousing and jointly acquiring concession blocks in various parts of Pakistan.

Specific cooperation will be in the key priority areas of increasing the economic potential of Pakistan through the identification of new hydrocarbon fields and efficient use of the natural resources by ensuring environmental protection and sustainability.

The joint venture would also carry out geological surveys within Pakistan, using the modern technologies and methods. The Russian company will be responsible for the technical planning and execution, arrangement of rigs and recorders, while KPOGCL will be responsible for security, logistics and transportation, gensets, earth moving equipment, cranes, tractors, camp facilities, local support manning, communication, local clearances, permits, licences, business development, etc.

The cooperation of the two companies will be implemented in phases. A permanent working group comprising the two companies has been constituted to identify, study and evaluate specific projects of mutual interest.

For every specific project of mutual interest, the two companies would establish the appropriate scheme of cooperation and establish a joint company that will undertake the execution of the various projects.

Rosgeo also signed a similar MoU with the OGDCL for E&P cooperation on broader terms within their blocks for mutual benefit and overall reciprocity in accordance with the relevant laws, rules and regulations.

The cooperation under the MoU would include examining the possibility of “farm-in” and “farm-out” opportunities in existing exploration licences and look into opportunities in development and production fields including opportunities related to the application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques.

The two sides would look into mutually beneficial activities in acquisition, processing and interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic data and formulate strategies for sharing the expertise and training the personnel of both the companies.

Defending Pakistan's territorial integrity

It is heartening to note that this year 6^th September is being celebrated with great fervor. While most of Pakistanis thank All Mighty Allah for protecting Pakistan from external aggression, I was not amazed to read a comment “We had lost war in 1965”. One should not forget snicks have always prevailed, though in minority but they play the role of creating confusion and discontent.

By the grace of Allah I am more than 62 years old, witnessed 1965 and 1971 wars besides uncountable border firing cases. Let me reiterate that extremist Hindus have not accepted partition of subcontinent and are adamant at destroying Pakistan. The repeated assaults on Pakistan prove that these extremists have not been able to achieve their ultimate objective of eliminating Pakistan from the world map.

Having said that, it is also to be taken into account that in Pakistan various militant groups are busy in sabotage in the name of religious fanaticism, self-proclaimed discontent and target killing of religious scholars, academicians and social figures that raise voice against the terrorists and demand weeding out of these highly undesirable elements.

Being a student of geopolitics, who has been closely watching proxy wars being fought around the world, I can say without mincing words that the super powers create issues, assemble rebel groups, and provide those funds, arms and training. They also prepare hawks that spread disinformation and create hatred among people belonging to different religions and sects.

Pakistan has been fighting a proxy war in Afghanistan for more than four decades and has faced the worst fallout. Its social fabrics is torn, millions of militants are hibernating in Pakistan (they wear different caps) and using residents of areas as human shields. These culprits also enjoy support of local political, sectarian and linguistic group as they play the role of ‘militant groups’ of these outfits.

These are not Jihadist but hardcore criminal and blood thirsty people. They kill people for money and only for money. Their sanctuaries are located in Punjab, KP and Baluchistan provinces and keep coming to Sindh. One wonders what the people posted at various check points are doing to check and contain movement of these culprits.

Since 9/11 millions of people have been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Sudan and Pakistan. Most of these countries do not suffer from any serious internal conflicts but those inculcated and groomed by super powers.

The apathy of super powers and support for the aggressor is evident from funding of ISIS to topple Asad in Syria, presence of biggest open air prison in Gaza, Palestine and Kashmir issues remaining unresolved for more than half a century.

Let every Pakistani stand up and help in weeding out the culprits. Keep a close watch at your surrounding and never allow any suspected to find a refuge in your locality. Develop interfaith harmony so that none can mislead you in the name of religion, Islam does not teach killing.