Pakistan to Boost Oil & Gas Exploration to Strengthen Energy Security
Islamabad: Minister of State for Petroleum Division Ali Pervaiz Malik on Wednesday told the National Assembly that Pakistan is gearing up to expand oil and gas exploration—both onshore and offshore—while also targeting unconventional reserves like tight gas, shale gas, and shale oil. The move aims to enhance energy security and attract foreign investment.
Responding to a question from Dr. Nafisa Shah and others about former US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on massive oil reserves in Pakistan, the minister said the country holds significant untapped energy potential, ranging from conventional oil and gas fields to vast unconventional sources.
Under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, the government concluded a major onshore bidding round in April, awarding 13 exploration blocks, including two to Turkish Petroleum for the first time. A new onshore bidding round for 23 blocks is already under way, with results expected in October. Offshore bidding for around 40 blocks—including in the Indus and Gwadar regions—is also progressing.
Highlighting investment needs, the minister said each onshore exploration well requires about $20–25 million, while offshore wells could cost more than $120 million. Global interest has already come from companies in Turkey, China, Kuwait, and the USA.
On unconventional resources, Malik noted studies showing Pakistan’s tight gas potential at 30–35 trillion cubic feet—about three times the size of the Sui gas field. The government updated its tight gas policy in 2024 to encourage development.
He also cited a USAID-supported 2015 study which revealed that shale oil and gas reserves in the Lower Indus Basin are many times larger than Pakistan’s total energy extraction over the last 70 years.
