Pakistan Among Top 5 Countries to Discover Oil and Gas in 2017

Pakistan made two key oil and gas discoveries in the third quarter and another three discoveries in the fourth quarter of 2017. These discoveries may have prompted the US-based Exxon-Mobil to join off-shore drilling efforts in Pakistan. American energy giant's entry in Pakistan brings advanced deep sea drilling technology, its long experience in offshore exploration and production and its deep pockets to the country. US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that Pakistan has technically recoverable deposits of 105 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas and 9.1 billion barrels of oil. Exxon-Mobil is expected to accelerate exploration and lead to more discoveries and increased domestic oil and gas production.

Top Countries Discovering Oil and Gas:

Russia led with 10 discoveries, followed by Australia with seven discoveries and Colombia with four discoveries. Pakistan and the UK each had three discoveries in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to Global Oil and Gas Discoveries Review.

Oil and Gas Discoveries 2H/17. Source: Offshore Technology

In fourth quarter of 2017, the Former Soviet Union leads with 12 discoveries, followed by Asia with eight discoveries, and Oceania with seven discoveries. Europe and South America had five discoveries each, followed by North America with two discoveries, while the Middle East and Africa had one discovery each in the quarter, according to Offshore Technology website.

Top 3 Offshore Drilling Sites in Asia-Pacific. Source: Bloomberg

Exxon-Mobil's Entry in Pakistan:

American energy giant Exxon-Mobil has joined the offshore oil and gas exploration efforts started by Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) and Italian energy giant ENI, according to media reports.

Each company will have 25% stake in the joint venture under an agreement signed at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in May among ExxonMobil, Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL), PPL, ENI and OGDC.

Exxon-Mobile's entry in Pakistan brings deep offshore drilling technology, its long experience and financial resources to the country. It is expected to accelerate exploration and more discoveries.

Pakistan Oil Basins:

A Pakistan Basin Study conducted in 2009 found that the country has six onshore and two offshore basins; offshore basins being the Indus basin and the Makran basin in the Arabian Sea.

The Indus offshore basin is a rift basin that geologists say developed after the separation of the Indian Plate from Africa in the late Jurassic period. It is believed to be the second largest submarine fan system in the world after the Bay of Bengal with high probability of hydrocarbon discoveries.

The Makran Offshore basin is separated from the Indus Offshore basin by Murray ridge, according to Syed Mustafa Amjad's report in Dawn. It is an oceanic and continental crust subduction zone with deepwater trenches and volcanic activity. The basin consists of oceanic crust and periodic emergence of temporary mud islands along the coast suggesting strong evidence of large hydrocarbon deposits.

Pakistan Hydrocarbon Potential:

The United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that Pakistan has 586 TCF (trillion cubic feet) of gas in Pakistan of which 105 TCF is technically recoverable.

In addition to gas deposits, US EIA estimates there are 227 billion barrels of oil in Pakistan with 9.1 billion barrels being technically recoverable.

Pakistan also has 185 billion tons of coal deposits in Thar desert which are just beginning to be extracted by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Corporation.

Oil and Gas exploration and production companies are currently planning to drill 90 wells in different parts of  the country. Under the plan, as many as 50 exploratory and 40 development wells would be drilled in a bid to make the country self-sufficient in the energy sector, according to media reports.

During the last five years, the sources said the exploration and production companies drilled 445 new wells, out of which 221 were exploratory, adding that the increased exploration activities resulted in 116 new oil and gas discoveries.

Current Account Deficits:

Energy imports make up a big chunk of Pakistan's total imports. Rising oil prices worsen the current account deficit and put pressure on Pakistan's reserves, forcing the country to seek periodic IMF bailouts.

Pakistan’s current account deficit has jumped by 50% to a record high of $14.03 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year 2018, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.  The country imported $12 billion worth of energy in 2017. The bill is likely to grow with increasing demand and rising prices in 2018.

Reducing energy imports by increasing domestic production will likely ease Pakistan's current account deficits and reduce its chances of going back to the IMF again and again.

Summary:

Pakistan made 2 key oil and gas discoveries in 3rd quarter and another 3 discoveries in the 4th quarter of 2017. These discoveries appear to have prompted US-based Exxon-Mobil to join off-shore drilling efforts in Pakistan.  American energy giant's entry in Pakistan brings advanced deep sea drilling technology, its long experience in offshore exploration and financial resources to the country. It is expected to accelerate exploration and lead to more discoveries.  US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that Pakistan has technically recoverable deposits of 105 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas and 9.1 billion barrels of oil. Reducing energy imports by increasing domestic production will likely ease Pakistan's current account deficits and reduce its need to seek repeated IMF bailouts.

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

South Asia Investor Review

US EIA Estimates of Oil and Gas in Pakistan

Methane Hydrate Release After Balochistan Quake

Thar Coal Development

Why Blackouts and Bailouts in Energy-Rich Pakistan?

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Riaz Haq said…
Unprecedented growth witnessed in petroleum sector in five years


https://tribune.com.pk/story/1720526/1-unprecedented-growth-witnessed-petroleum-sector-five-years/

To step up search for oil and gas in potential areas across the country, the government encouraged oil and gas Exploration and Production (E&P) companies by providing maximum incentives.
Experts say the thrust produced satisfactory results.
The exploration activities registered 80 per cent increase with 40 per cent success rate. Drilling of appraisal and development wells went up by 12.8 per cent, discoveries rose by 151.3 per cent, 2D and 3D seismic surveys increased by 37.2 per cent and 43.1 per cent, respectively.
Consequently, domestic oil production grew by 29.8 per cent, meaning significant relief on the side of heavy oil import bill.

A senior official in the Petroleum and Natural Resources Division told APP that during first four years of the PML-N government, the companies drilled over 179 exploratory and 194 appraisal wells that resulted in 101 new oil and gas discoveries, while the previous government had drilled 100 exploratory and 172 appraisal/development wells, achieving just 39 oil and gas discoveries.
In the four-year span, more than 944 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas and 32,343 bpd oil were added to the transmission network across the country through indigenous resources.
The country’s total crude oil production reached around 90,000 bpd oil.
The official said 68 findings, out of total 101 discoveries, had added proven reserves of about 5.4 trillion cubic feet (tcf) gas, while calculations regarding 33 wells were yet to be determined. As many as 87 findings were made in Sindh, seven each in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
During the same period, the country is estimated to have consumed about 5.2 tcf gas which means that more than 100 per cent replacement had been made for the resource consumed.

Besides, over $10 billion foreign investment poured into the country’s petroleum sector, despite low oil price scenario in the international market.
Determined to achieve self-sufficiency in the energy sector, the government also completed a study in collaboration with USAID which confirmed the presence of 3,778 tcf shale gas and 2,323 billion of stock tank barrels (BSTB) shale oil in place resources.
Following which, a Shale Gas and Oil Centre has been established at the ministry to facilitate interested E&P companies in tapping the identified 188 tcf gas and 58 BSTB oil technically recoverable resources in lower and middle Indus Basin.
Besides, a consortium of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has been formed to undertake pilot project(s) to determine cost of extracting shale gas and oil.
In a landmark development, Pakistan signed a 15-year agreement with Qatar for import of LNG to meet its growing energy needs as existing natural gas reserves were insufficient to bridge the ever-increasing gap between demand and supply of the commodity. The gas supply-demand gap has reached around 4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) as total gas demand of the country is 8.0 bcfd against total supply of 4.0 bcfd. Needless to say in winter, the demand rapidly increases.
It is believed that LNG was the cheapest alternative fuel and the only instant available remedy to meet the country’s energy needs when the existing natural gas reserves were diminishing.
Riaz Haq said…
Country’s oil import bill surges by 30.43pc to $12.928bn

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/06/20/countrys-oil-import-bill-surges-by-30-43pc-to-12-928bn/


Pakistan’s oil import bill rose nearly 30.43 per cent year-on-year to $12.928 billion in July-May 2017-18 owing to an increase in global prices of crude oil and rising demand of petroleum products in the country.

The amount of the oil import bills is around one-third of the total import bill for the period.

The trade deficit is widening as the overall import bill of the country has been on the rise since the start of 2017-18.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday showed the current account deficit at around $15.961 billion in July-May 2017-18 billion which surged by 43 per cent as compared to the previous year.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) imports rose by 84.5 per cent in the last eleven months of the current fiscal year to $2.123 billion as compared to the previous year’s gas imports worth $1,150 billion.

Official figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Wednesday showed that the petroleum imports increased 30.5 per cent year-on-year to $12.928 billion which was around $9.912 billion in the same period last year.

A 60.35 per cent growth was recorded in the import of crude oil year-on-year to $3.738 billion. But in terms of quantity, a growth of 28.72 per cent was posted year-on-year to 9.45 million tonnes, indicating that a large share of the increase is on account of higher prices.

Imports of petroleum products went up 9.54 per cent to $6.808 billion the eleven-month period. The petroleum products recorded a nearly negative 4.66 per cent in quantity year-on-year to 14.362 million tonnes.

In the current fiscal, year the second-biggest component in the import bill was transport group whose import rose 27.88 per cent year-on-year to $3.821 billion in last eleven months of this fiscal year. The increase is due mainly to massive imports of busses/ trucks (60.8 per cent), and motor cycle (57.88 per cent).
Riaz Haq said…
#ExxonMobil close to hitting huge #oil #reserves in Pakistan, bigger than #Kuwait’s (100 billion barrels). If the oil deposits are discovered as expected, #Pakistan will be among the top 10 oil-producing countries (#OPEC), ahead of Kuwait in 6th position http://www.arabnews.com/node/1351556#.W2eASM-rU8g.twitter

The US energy giant has drilled up to 5,000 meters near the Pakistan-Iran border, says Pakistan foreign minister
If the oil deposits are discovered as expected, Pakistan will be among the top 10 oil-producing countries, ahead of Kuwait in sixth position
KARACHI: The US energy giant ExxonMobil is close to hitting huge oil reserves near the Pakistan-Iran border, which could be even bigger than the Kuwaiti reserves, says Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Pakistan’s caretaker minister for maritime affairs and foreign affairs.

ExxonMobil, the American multinational oil and gas company, has so far drilled up to 5,000 meters close to the Iranian border and is optimistic about the oil discovery, Haroon told business leaders at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
If the oil deposits are discovered as expected, Pakistan will be among top the 10 oil-producing countries ahead of Kuwait in sixth position.
Kuwait’s oil reserves make up 8.4 percent of the oil reserves in the world. Kuwait claims to hold about 101.50 billion barrels, including half of five billion barrels in the Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone which Kuwait shares with Saudi Arabia.
According to current estimates, 81.89 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves are located in OPEC member countries, with the bulk of OPEC oil reserves in the Middle East, amounting to 65.36 percent of the OPEC total, latest OPEC data shows.
Pakistan’s foreign minister also said that his government has already taken an undertaking from ExxonMobil to set up a generation complex worth $10 billion.
“They are also putting up an LNG berth at Port Qasim, the second seaport in Karachi. They have already paid for the drilling rights in Pakistan,” Haroon added.
He said: “Pakistan is providing a level playing field to foreign investors and they are interested in coming to Pakistan. What we need to do is to meet their standards and attract them to make investment.”
In May 2018, the ExxonMobil had acquired 25 percent stakes in offshore drilling in Pakistan. The agreement was signed at Prime Minister’s Secretariat among ExxonMobil, Government Holdings Private Limited, PPL, Eni and the Oil and Gas Development Corporation.
The agreement has reduced the drilling share of other partner exploration companies to 25 percent each.
Haroon said that Pakistan is being dragged into the US-China trade war but “the country is maintaining its impartiality.”
“When we sought a much-needed external loan from China, which they initially had refused, the US expressed its annoyance,” Haroon added.
Pakistan currently meets only 15 percent of its domestic petroleum needs with crude oil production of around 22 million tons; the other 85 percent is met through imports. The country facing huge current account deficit of up to $18 billion is spending a substantial amount of foreign exchange reserves on import of oil. The import bill of Pakistan rose by to $12.928 billion in the July-May 2017-18 period of the last fiscal year.
Pakistan’s foreign minister also talked about the current water crisis and its impact on Indo-Pak relations. “India is acting to control water flows which would endanger Pakistan’s food security and they would ruin our crops,” he said.
Haroon called for the integration of Karachi Port and Port Qasim so that they could supplement each other in the larger interest of the country.
Riaz Haq said…
Top 10 Countries in Proven Oil Reserves:

1.VENEZUELA 297.6 billion barrals

2. SAUDI ARABIA 267.91 billion barrels

3. CANADA Proven oil reserves: 173.105 billion barrels

4. IRAN Proven oil reserves: 154.58 billion barrels

5. IRAQ Proven oil reserves: 141.35 billion barrels

6.KUWAIT Proven oil reserves: 104 billion barrels

7. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 97.8 billion barrels

8. RUSSIA 80 billion barrels

9. LIBYA 48 billion barrels

10. NIGERIA 37.2 billion barrels

http://geab.eu/en/top-10-countries-with-the-worlds-biggest-oil-reserves/
Riaz Haq said…
In Pakistan, ExxonMobil signed an agreement in May this year to take a 25-percent working interest in the Indus Block G offshore Pakistan, where the other partners in the block are Italy’s major Eni and Pakistan’s Government Holdings Pvt Ltd and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).

According to Arab News, Pakistan currently meets just 15 percent of its petroleum demand with domestic crude oil production, while 85 percent of its demand is met with imports. With the high imports, and the higher oil prices in recent months, Pakistan faces a large current account deficit and spends a substantial portion of its foreign exchange reserves on importing oil.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Pakistan-Exxon-Is-Close-To-Making-A-Mega-Oil-Discovery.html
Riaz Haq said…
Italy's ENI has acquired a 25% stake and operatorship in an ultra-deepwater block off Pakistan. Block G in Pakistan’s Indus Basin comprises approximately 7500km2. Eni currently holds participating interest in adjacent Indus block C (60%) and block N (70%).

https://www.oedigital.com/vessels/item/1477-exploring-indus
Riaz Haq said…
Minister Hussain Haroon denies quote about big oil find by Exxon Mobile in Pakistan


http://api.ning.com/files/921Jqs6UN3FtycsxGzvMNFrEGJCbffL*e7AXLZAoUQpBwaSMmX4GXNAVYvna-PrWqJD1aKn6xJi31JfnDE0Z8aoqqgcZ6K4f/IMG_0171.JPG

Riaz Haq said…
Will rising demand, new exploration activity and a refresh of government policy bring renewed confidence in Asia-Pacific’s upstream industry in 2019? Wood Mackenzie’s research director Andrew Harwood shares his thoughts.

https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/will-asia-pacifics-og-sector-join-the-global-recovery-in-2019/

Big exploration slowly returning
The need to fill new and old gas infrastructure will see the drilling of exciting offshore prospects across Australia, Brunei, Malaysia,Myanmar, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea. Some will be frontier deepwater exploration. But access to gas demand centres will be the primary driver of which prospects make the grade.

Our top three wells to watch in 2019 involve some of the world’s most successful exploration companies – hopes are high for sustained success:

• Offshore Pakistan, ExxonMobil and Eni will spud the ultra-deepwater Kekra-1 well in early 2019, targeting a carbonate play that could be a game-changer for the country’s burgeoning gas market.

• Repsol’s Rencong-1X well, offshore North Sumatra, Indonesia, is generating strong interest from potential farm-in partners. We expect a deal to be done before the well spuds in Q3 2019.

• In Papua New Guinea, Total’s Mailu-1 well is targeting a giant oil prospect in over 2000 metres of water, potentially opening a new ultra-deep offshore play in the Papuan Basin.

From a licensing perspective, several countries are set to launch new bid rounds in 2019. But only those offering a fair balance of risk and reward will be successful in attracting new investment. Despite recent fiscal revisions in India and Indonesia, we expect lacklustre interest in their latest acreage offerings, and investor appetite is likely to be limited for other 2019 licensing opportunities in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

M&A maintains momentum
M&A spend grew over 60% to US$8.7 billion in 2018 compared to 2017. We expect 2019 to be flat with around US$8 billion of potential deals in the pipeline.

We expect to see divestments in Southeast Asia by primarily US-focused players, such as Hess, ConocoPhillips and Chevron, seeking to redeploy capital towards lower-cost, higher-return opportunities elsewhere.

With a steady supply of international oil companies (IOC) assets potentially becoming available, and the region’s national oil companies (NOCs) on the hunt for new partners to share financial and technical commitments, there should be no shortage of acquisition opportunities in 2019.

Deal activity in Australia is also likely to continue at a brisk pace, as LNG operators position themselves for the next wave of investment, and local producers look to take advantage of a tightening domestic gas market.

Asia-Pacific O&G Outlook 2019
Join the Asia Pacific oil and gas research team as they gaze into their crystal ball and run down some of their top themes and events to look for in 2019.

Fewer project sanctions
Contrary to global trends, 2019 looks a relatively low-key year for new project sanctions in Asia-Pacific. PetroVietnam’s Block B gas development and ConocoPhillips’s Barossa are the largest projects targeting FID over the next 12 months, but both are in danger of being pushed into 2020.

As attention in Australia’s LNG sector turns towards backfilling the existing Pluto and North West Shelf infrastructure, collaboration among operators is becoming a genuine option. Woodside’s Scarborough and Browse are the most likely medium-term candidates to provide new feedgas. But Chevron’s Clio-Acme development may leapfrog both with a surprise 2019 FID if commercial arrangements for third-party access to LNG infrastructure can be finalised. If so, it would be quite a turnaround for an industry not known for playing together in the past.

Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan Aims To Become A Natural Gas Hotspot. It has estimated conventional #gas reserves of 20 trillion cu ft and #shale gas reserves exceed 100 trillion cu ft, making it attractive to foreign #energy investors. #FDI OilPrice.com https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Pakistan-Aims-To-Become-A-Natural-Gas-Hotspot.html?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=tw_repost #oilprice

Pakistan is eager to open up its gas deposits to foreign energy companies in a bid to boost domestic production amid soaring demand, two government officials told media this week. The country has trillions of cubic feet in natural gas reserves, and although some of these have been exploited, the last decade has seen an outflow of foreign energy investors because of Islamist violence. Is the worst over?

Pakistan, a country with a fast-rising population, has recently been plagued with power outages largely resulting from a shortage of fuel necessary to keep its power stations going. Imports of gas and LNG are on the rise, but Imran Khan’s government seems to be aware that domestic production is almost invariably cheaper.

As a result, Pakistan is now preparing to start tendering gas blocks to all parties interested in exploration.

“I expect in the second half of this year we will be auctioning at least 10, if not 20 blocks for exploration,” the head of the government’s task force for an energy reform, Nadeem Babar, told Reuters earlier this week. He added that the government was in the process of making changes to its natural gas exploration and production regulations and drafting the country’s first ever shale resource policy.

“Pakistan provides a level playing field for all the E&P companies and even state-owned companies also have to participate in bidding rounds and compete with other companies,” said the country’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources as quoted by The News International.

Pakistan imports nearly 80 percent of energy requirements from the international market. The country’s demand for energy has been increasing by 8 percent a year,” Ghulam Sarwar Khan also said, adding the government was doing its best to make Pakistan a more investor-friendly country as part of efforts to change the status quo in energy supply and demand.

Pakistan has estimated conventional gas reserves of 20 trillion cu ft and shale gas reserves exceed 100 trillion cu ft, which certainly makes the country an attractive destination for gas drillers as long as the security situation remains stable.

So far, the authorities have delineated more than 30 gas blocks, all onshore, Babar also told Reuters. If these attract sufficient interest, they could go a considerable way towards reducing the gas shortage plaguing the country, where demand for gas for 2017/18 was calculated at 6.9 billion cu ft daily, exceeding production by almost 3 billion cu ft.

With such demand levels—and rising, too—Pakistan is naturally an attractive destination for gas exploiters. Russia, Iran, and Qatar are all large suppliers. Earlier this week, Pakistani media reported government officials were negotiating an increase in Qatari LNG imports from 500 billion cu ft daily to 700 billion cu ft daily. Last month, the government inked an import deal with Gazprom for 500 million to 1 billion cu ft daily.

The country also recently completed two LNG import terminals but the super-cooled fuel is more expensive than Islamabad would like, especially given its level of import dependency.

According to Nadeem Babar, Aramco, Gazprom, and Exxon have already expressed interest in some of the blocks to be auctioned later this year. Italy’s Eni is already active in Pakistan and may join the bidders along with others attracted by the underexplored resources in the country where one of three wells yields commercial gas.
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan may soon hit #oil , #gas jackpot in offshore drilling in Arabian Sea off the coast of #Karachi by Exxon: #PMImranKhan - Pakistan - http://DAWN.COM

https://www.dawn.com/news/1471138

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday indicated that Pakistan was on the verge of hitting a kind of jackpot in the form of discovering a huge reserve of oil and gas.

“Just pray that our hopes and expectations from the offshore drilling being carried out by the ExxonMobil-led consortium prove to be true,” he said.

“There’s already been a delay of about three weeks, but if the indications we are getting from the companies are anything to go by, there’s a strong possibility that we may discover a very big reserve in our waters. And if that happens, Pakistan will altogether be in a different league,” he said.


In an informal chat with a group of newspaper editors and other senior journalists, Mr Khan didn’t share details of the offshore drilling process. And there has been no official word from ExxonMobil and the international oil exploration company ENI which have been involved since January in drilling an ultra-deep well (230km inside the sea) for oil in what is known as Kekra-1 area.

ExxonMobil returned to Pakistan after nearly a decade after surveys were carried out last year suggesting the possibility of big oil reserves within the Pakistani waters.


----------------

In a new development, the drilling activities that kicked off with the budget of $75-80 million by joint venture headed by ENI in Kekra-1 well in Indus G Block located in Pakistan’s deep sea has braved a blow of mud loss owing to which investment on drilling is feared to touch the staggering figure of $100 million. The drilling had started with the hope of good news in the months of March and April.


EXXON Mobile is drilling the well and it was given the target to drill the Kekra-1 well by 5,800 metre deep in March, but when the drilling reached by 4,900 metres, a huge kick pressure was felt owing to which the process braved the mud loss, a relevant official at Petroleum Division told The News.
Riaz Haq said…
Drilling process has braved a blow of mud loss owing to which investment on drilling is feared to touch the staggering figure of $100 million Exxon Mobile, OGDCL and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) are the partners of the Joint Venture headed by ENI The discovery is anticipated to yield gas flows which can be as big as Sui field

Addition Secretary and spokesman of Petroleum Division Sher Afgan confirmed that during the drilling activities, exploration companies sustained mud loss during the ongoing drilling of Kekra-1. However, he said that the sign of kick pressure is good as it determines that something is in the well.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/447339-drilling-activities-in-pak-kekra-1-well-sustains-blow-of-mud-loss

In a new development, the drilling activities that kicked off with the budget of $75-80 million by joint venture headed by ENI in Kekra-1 well in Indus G Block located in Pakistan’s deep sea has braved a blow of mud loss owing to which investment on drilling is feared to touch the staggering figure of $100 million. The drilling had started with the hope of good news in the months of March and April.


EXXON Mobile is drilling the well and it was given the target to drill the Kekra-1 well by 5,800 metre deep in March, but when the drilling reached by 4,900 metres, a huge kick pressure was felt owing to which the process braved the mud loss, a relevant official at Petroleum Division told The News.

Related Stories
Kekra-1 well in deep sea: Oil and gas field to be developed with Rs41b investment
‘Good news’: PM Imran hints at discovery of major oil reserves in Arabian Sea
He said that mud loss means the loss of special chemicals used in the drilling process and because of this development, the exploration companies will have to again spud the well by 1500 metres. Keeping in view the new development, now the exploration companies have started side tracking process to continue its drilling process.

Addition Secretary and spokesman of Petroleum Division Sher Afgan confirmed that during the drilling activities, exploration companies sustained mud loss during the ongoing drilling of Kekra-1. However, he said that the sign of kick pressure is good as it determines that something is in the well.

Exxon Mobile, OGDCL and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) are the partners of the Joint Venture headed by ENI. Pakistan is eying massive oil and gas recovery in Kekra-1 well.

The Indus G Block was first given to OGDCL on August 12, 2006 but later on it was transferred to ENI on April 25, 2007 under Petroleum Sharing Agreement. Now the ENI as operator of four companies’ joint venture has started E&P activities in Pakistan deep sea. In case of huge discovery, Pakistan’s share in oil and gas discovery can go up to 70 percent depending upon the slabs mentioned in the agreement.

The country at present possesses original onshore recoverable gas resources of 57 trillion cubic feet (tcf) out of which 38tcf has been produced and 19.5 tcf is yet to discovered. The country has recoverable resources of oil that stands at 1.246 billion barrels but so far 0.899 billion barrels have been produced so far. In March, Exxon Mobil will send a specimen to Houston for examination. Similarly, ENI will send the specimen to Milan in March. From April to May, there will be a reasonable idea that this well contains oil or gas.

The discovery is anticipated to yield gas flows which can be as big as Sui field, with estimated reserves of 3 to 8tcf, or 25-40 percent of Pakistan’s total gas reserves.

Riaz Haq said…
#ImranKhanPrimeMinister has seen high-confidence data indicating large #oil, #gas reserves. There's "kick pressure" from oil/gas in drilling. It was strong kick pressure that forced #ExxonMobil to stop #drilling for more mud to prevent blow-out. #Pakistan https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/448666-largest-oil-gas-reserves-expected-near-karachi-hopes-pm-imran-khan
Riaz Haq said…
#Pakistan’s massive #oil and #gas discovery report expected in April 2019. Experts believe huge hydrocarbon deposits offshore, enough for 25 to 30 years. Estimated gas reserves are 3 to 8 trillion cubic feet (TCF), 25-40% of country’s total gas reserves. https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistans-massive-oil-and-gas-discovery-report-to-be-out-in-april-1.62968777

Dubai: Pakistan will announce the discovery of massive oil and gas reserves in the next three weeks, said an official.

A consortium of four leading companies led by US-based ExxonMobil, which has started drilling in ultra-deep waters offshore Karachi, is likely to submit its report by April, Pakistan’s official news agency APP reported on Thursday.

The consortium has claimed it has discovered massive oil and gas reserves offshore Indus G-Block called Kekra-I some 230-km off the Karachi coast.

Gulf News earlier reported that the location of the reserves is near Iran borders. On Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had also hinted at finding ‘massive’ oil reserves off the coast of Karachi.

He said he would soon share good news with the nation. He had said Pakistan would not need to import oil after the offshore reserves are found.

“Steady drilling is in progress and there are ‘good symptoms’ about the success of the project. Currently, more than 4,000 metres of vertical drilling has been completed. Drilling is under way horizontally against the target of around 5,500 metres,” the official said.

Experts believe that there are huge hydrocarbon deposits, sufficient for the country’s needs for 25 to 30 years. The energy scarce nation is anxiously waiting for good news.

The official said exploration activity is continuing round-the-clock by a highly skilled team of more than 200 professionals with periodical tests of specimens conducted after almost every 1,000-metre drill.

The well’s diameter is 18 to 24 inches and companies had set the target depth of 5,500 metres, the official said, adding that the discovery is anticipated to yield gas flows which could be ‘as big as Sui field’. Estimated reserves are three to eight trillion cubic feet (TCF), or 25-40 per cent of the country’s total gas reserves.

The official said the country is in dire need of a big discovery as existing hydrocarbon reserves are depleting fast and its reliance on imported gas and oil is increasing with each passing day.


According to data of a recent study, existing deposits in Pakistan will further deplete 60 per cent by the year 2027. It underlined the need to step up exploration in potential areas on a war-footing.

The offshore drilling is a joint venture of ENI, Exxon Mobil, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited and Pakistan Petroleum Limited. In December 2018, Exxon Mobil had announced that it would reinvest in the Pakistani market after a gap of nearly three decades.

According to media reports, if oil deposits are discovered as expected, Pakistan will be among top 10 oil-producing countries.

Pakistan currently meets only 15 per cent of its domestic petroleum needs with crude oil production of around 22 million tons; the other 85 per cent is met through imports.

The country is facing a huge current account deficit of up to $18 billion and is spending a substantial amount of foreign exchange reserves on import of oil. The import bill of Pakistan rose by to $12.928 billion in the July-May 2017-18 period of the last fiscal year.
Riaz Haq said…
2019 #Oil and #Gas Exploration Off to Flying Start. Eni’s Kekra well in #Pakistani waters has pre-drill prospective resource estimates of 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent. #exxonmobil #Pakistan #offshore | Rigzone https://www.rigzone.com/news/2019_oil_and_gas_exploration_off_to_flying_start-08-apr-2019-158543-article/?utm_source=GLOBAL_ENG&utm_medium=SM_TW&utm_campaign=SHARE_DESKTOP via @rigzone

Oil and gas exploration is off to a flying start in 2019, according to independent energy research and business intelligence company Rystad Energy.

Global discoveries of conventional resources in the first quarter reached 3.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe), Rystad revealed Monday in a statement sent to Rigzone. Most of the gains were recorded in February, which saw 2.2 billion barrels of discovered resources, Rystad highlighted.

Majors reported more than 2.4 billion boe of the discovered resources for the quarter, Rystad outlined in the statement. ExxonMobil was the most successful, with three offshore discoveries accounting for 38 percent of total discovered volumes.

“If the rest of 2019 continues at a similar pace, this year will be on track to exceed last year’s discovered resources by 30 percent,” Rystad Upstream Analyst Taiyab Zain Shariff said in the company statement.

The total volume of global conventional discoveries in 2018 was 9.1 billion boe, according to Rystad. Total global conventional discoveries were 10.3 billion boe in 2017 and 8.4 billion boe in 2016.

No Signs of Slowing Down
In the statement, Rystad said the push for “substantial” new discoveries shows no signs of slowing down, with another 35 “high impact” exploration wells expected to be drilled this year, both onshore and offshore.

Rystad highlighted that three such wells are already underway; the Shell-operated Peroba well off Brazil - with pre-drill prospective resource estimates of 5.3 billion boe, Eni’s Kekra well in Pakistani waters -with pre-drill prospective resource estimates of 1.5 billion boe and the Total-operated Etzil well off Mexico -with pre-drill prospective resource estimates of 2.7 billion boe.

“If these wells prove successful, 2019’s interim discovered resources will be the largest since the downturn in 2014,” Shariff stated.

Earlier this year, Rystad said improved market conditions and lower well costs had led exploration and production players to “ramp up” their 2019 exploration activities in all parts of the world.

“Renewed optimism in exploration activities is anticipated in 2019, with operators from various segments aiming for multiple high-impact campaigns – both onshore and offshore – in essentially all corners of the world,” Rystad Energy Senior Analyst, Rohit Patel, said in a company statement back in February.

“These include wells targeting large prospects, play openers, wells in frontier and emerging basins and operator communicated high impact wells,” Patel added.

Rystad is headquartered in Oslo and has locations in Houston, Singapore, London, New York, Sydney, Moscow, Stavanger, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Dubai and Bangalore. The company traces its roots back to 2004.
Riaz Haq said…
More delay in #Pakistan offshore drilling due to concerns about blow-out from huge #oil and #gas field estimated to have to over 1.5 billion barrels of oil. Exxon fixing blow-out preventer (BOP) to prevent oil fire from blow-out from kick pressure #Karachi https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/462934-kekra-drilling-process-hits-another-snag

The spudding, that was to kick start on April 20, 2019 at Kekra-1 well in G-bloc, Pakistan’s ultra-deep sea after pause of 12 days, could not take off as it has hit another serious snag.


The blow out preventer (BOP) that prevents from any blow out or any kick pressure that can result into eruption of fire, has gone out of order and its repair is underway.

Sher Afgan, Additional Secretary and spokesman for Petroleum Division, confirmed the development saying the blow out preventer that is attached with valves at the end of rig has developed serious problems owing to which the drilling could not start on time.

Up till now, the official said, drilling is virtually stopped for the last 18 days and the status will last till the repair process of BOP is completed. However, Ghulam Mustafa, expert of oil and gas exploration and production, did not accept that the blow out preventer takes four to five days for repair, arguing that the BOP cannot be repaired, rather it can be upgraded by changing its affected spare parts and this process does not take more than one hour. He said the drilling machine may have developed other problem that is not being shared.

Earlier, the drilling got stalled on April 8 at the depth of 4,810 meters because of cementing and casing process which took almost 12 days to get completed. Now the issue of blow out preventer has emerged which according to the official of Petroleum Division is being coped with. And once the BOP’s repair is completed, the Mobile Exxon with ENI as operator at Kekra-1 well will start the drilling of the remaining 650-800 meters under second side tracking.

GA Sabri, former secretary of Petroleum Ministry, opined that BOP is one of the important tools that prevents the rig and whole apparatus from any blow out that is caused because of pressure kick that also may lead to eruption of fire. He said that BOP ensures the safety of the machine (rig and whole apparatus). When asked what will happen to the drilling as in May, the sea will turn rough because of high tide, Sabri said according to new weather forecast, monsoon has delayed so the chances of sea to turn rough have got minimised in May which is a good news.

Once the BOP issue is sorted, Kekra-01 well will enter a phase where the operator will, for the first time, begin to receive information that would help determine the well prospects. This would include results from LWD (logging while drilling), salinity testing, potential hydrocarbon traces in mud and rock samples and hydrocarbon kicks.

Time required to drill the remaining depth will depend upon the rate of penetration (RoP). The penetration rate is significantly slower for northern region of Pakistan than the southern region.

“We don’t yet have precedents to form a reliable estimate for the RoP for offshore Indus-G, where Kekra-01 is being drilled. An RoP of 10 meters per hour (generally considered low) would mean that it would take 80 hours or a little more than three days to reach the target depth.’’

After completion of drilling, the operator will likely do wire line logging which could take another three or four days. This will likely be followed by another casing and cementing exercise that can take four to six days. At this stage a substantial amount of information regarding the well prospects will be known, however, the results (discovery or dry well) will require completion of proper testing.

Riaz Haq said…
160 oil and gas reservoirs discovered in Pakistan in last 10 years

https://dnd.com.pk/160-oil-and-gas-reservoirs-discovered-in-pakistan-in-last-10-years/165344

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Minister for Energy (Petroleum Division) Omar Ayub Khan has said that a total of 160 oil and gas reservoirs have been discovered in Pakistan during the last 10 years.

In a written reply submitted in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub said that the discovered reservoirs are in different stages of appraisal and development, therefore, the estimated volume and value may vary based on actual production and its recovery factor.

The province wise break up of aforesaid discoveries during the year 2008-2018:160 oil and gas reservoirs discovered in Pakistan in last 10 years


Furthermore, the minister for energy told the House that at present total annual requirement of oil of the country is around 25.8 million tons per annum.

Required purchase and sale rates of petroleum products in Pakistan:

Sindh 131, Punjab 13, Balochistan 3, KPK 13


The minister said that the prices of petroleum products in the Country are linked with the International Arab Gulf market prices which fluctuate on daily basis and not in the control of government. Accordingly, the domestic oil prices are increased/decreased by including notified taxes and other cost components incurred on the supply of oil across the country.

Omar Ayub said that the government takes steps from time to time for providing relief to the consumers by adjusting any hike in international oil prices through reduction in the rate of taxes.


Petrol/Liter: Purchase Price Rs 62.55, Distribution/Transportation: Rs. 9.84, Taxes: Rs. 26.50. Total/Liter Rs. 98.89

Riaz Haq said…
#Hydrocarbon reserves discovered in Kohat. Improved security in ex #FATA paved the way for Drill Stem Test (DST) at Lockhart & Hangu formations. It found 3,240 barrels/day of condensate (#oil), 16.12 MMscf/day of #gas & 48 barrels/day of water. #energy https://www.brecorder.com/news/40004954

Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL), the country’s leading oil and gas exploration and production company has discovered oil and gas reserves in Kohat region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was learned on Tuesday.

"As per the information received from MOL, the operator of TAL Block, hydrocarbons have been encountered in exploratory well Mamikhel South-01, which has been drilled and is currently under testing phase,” informed POL, in its filing to the bourse.

As a result Drill Stem Test (DST) conducted at the well to test the Lockhart and Hangu formations, the well has tested 3,240 barrels per day of condensate, 16.12 MMscf per day of gas and 48 barrels per day of water.

The pre-commerciality working interest of POL is 25 percent.

Back in March, POL has tested hydrocarbons from its Development Well Pindori-10, located in district Rawalpindi, Punjab. Meanwhile, back in January, OGDCL announced the discovery of gas and condensate at an exploratory well in Ranipur Block, in Sindh. The well has tested 1.85 million cubic feet per day of gas, six barrels per day of condensate.
Riaz Haq said…
Pakistan light oil pipeline project undertaken by CPP completed

http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202206/13/t20220613_37750580.shtml

FAISALABAD, Jun. 13 (Gwadar Pro) –Recently, the MFM MoGas Project – (MFM MP) Phase-II (TS-3 & TS-4), constructed by China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd. (CPP) was officially completed and successfully passed the owner's inspection.


“Since we officially entered the Pakistani market in July 2014 and registered the Pakistan Branch of China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd. in October 2017, we have completed a total of 9 projects here. Beyond all question, the light oil pipeline project means another challenge for us," said Wang Desheng from the TS-3 & TS-4 EPC Project Department in an exclusive interview with Gwadar Pro.

“Our owner, Pak–Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO), operates a pipeline transportation system of more than 2,000 kilometers, from Karachi in the south to Lahore in the north, which can be described as the main artery that helps Pakistan’s north-south energy transmission. In recent years, demand for motor gasoline has grown rapidly in north and central Pakistan, so the PARCO started planning to use the same pipeline to transport gasoline to alleviate the shortage in the region, thereby stabilizing its market share in north-central Pakistan,” Wang told Gwadar Pro, “therefore, Mahmood Kot-Faisalabad-Machike (MFM) Pipeline Phase II Reconstruction and Expansion Project came into being, which also included our project.”

The TS-3 and TS-4 stations are located in Faisalabad and Sheikhupura, Punjab, respectively. The former includes a single gasoline storage tank (42 meters in diameter, 12.6 meters in height, and a tank capacity of 15,000 cubic meters), a fire water storage tank (15.24 meters in diameter, 13.1 meters in height and a tank capacity of 2200 cubic meters), etc. The latter includes 2 single gasoline storage tanks (42 meters in diameter, 12.6 meters in height and a tank capacity of 15,000 cubic meters), a fire water storage tank (18.2 meters in diameter, 14.63 meters in height and a tank capacity of 3500 cubic meters) and related supporting facilities.

According to Wang, their project has always adhered to the strictest engineering quality standards since the start of construction in November 2017 until the owner issued the completion certificate recently. “During the construction period of several years, our team overcame challenges such as local climate, customs differences, project safety, and successfully overcame the huge difficulties brought by the COVID-19 epidemic, and the project proceeded smoothly. It can be said that the owner's affirmation means our success,” Wang emphasized.

Besides, as for employment, the project also created a series of jobs to local technical talents. The reporter learned that during the peak construction period, the total number of people on site reached nearly 400. The project department recruited a group of skilled and experienced Pakistani engineers, and the person in charge of HSE also provided training on epidemic prevention and various rules and regulations.

In Wang’s view, there are huge opportunities for cooperation between CPP and Pakistani companies in the oil and gas industry, which has a considerable market in Pakistan. At present, the CPP has established good cooperative relations with major oil and gas industry owners such as SSGC, SNGPL, PARCO, ISGS, OGDCL, etc. in Pakistan, and has won a good reputation locally. “In the future, we will always pay attention to local policy trends and seize the opportunity to promote the comprehensive development of large-scale oil and gas projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. China-Pak friendship Zindabad!”

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