Islamabad: An important discussion was held on energy reserves in the National Assembly session, where PPP leader Nafisa Shah, referring to US President Donald Trump’s recent statement, raised the question that if Pakistan really has large oil and gas reserves, why is the government not informing the public about the facts?
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervez Malik replied that the process of exploration for mineral resources in Pakistan is being accelerated and in this regard, 13 blocks were approved for offshore drilling in April. Now, in the next phase, oil and gas exploration will be started in 23 more blocks, on which an investment of 20 to 25 million dollars will be made.
He said that several foreign companies including Turkey, China, Kuwait and the United States have applied for onshore drilling in Gwadar, on which a decision is expected in October. The Federal Minister further said that according to the 2009 assessment, Pakistan has 30 to 35 TCF of tight gas potential, while 95 TCF of gas reserves are found in Sindh and Balochistan alone. So far, Pakistan has discovered a total of 85 TCF of gas reserves.
