Petroleum industry in Pakistan

 

Pakistan's first gas field was found in the late 1952 in Balochistan near a giant Sui gas field. The Toot oil field was not discovered until the early 1960s in the Punjab. The Most Rich resource in Khaur Company (Attock). It covers 122.67 square kilometres (47.36 sq mi). Pakistan Petroleum and Pakistan Oilfields explored and began drilling these field with Soviet help in 1961 and activity began in Toot during 1964.^[3][4][5]

The Toot area is one of the oldest oil producing regions in Pakistan with the first oilwell drilled in 1964 when President Ayub Khan encouraged a mineral development policy. It is located in Punjab Province, which area is located approximately 135 km southwest of the capital city of Islamabad. In 1964 the first well was drilled and commercial production started in 1967. There are about 60 million barrels of oil in place of which 12%-15% is recoverable. At its peak during 1986, the field was producing approximately 2,400 barrel of oil per day. It has grown steadily since then, producing both oil and, to a lesser degree, natural gas.^[3] Oil production was entirely confined to the Punjab till 1981, when Union Texas Pakistan discovered its first oil-field in Lower Sindh. By 1998-1999, the Lower Sindh gas-fields were producing more oil than the Punjab. Since then, new deposits have also been found here.

In 2005, the Vancouver-based 'International Sovereign Energy' signed a memorandum of understanding with the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan's national oil company, to develop the Toot field.^[6] Schlumberger Oilfield Services first started operations in early 2006. After favorable results, the Vancouver based 'Junior oil' and International 'Sovereign Energy Corp'. Oil and gas exploration companies signed a memorandum of agreement with the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan's national oil company, in mid-2005, to develop the Toot field in Punjab Province, near the capital city of Islamabad. The company is also providing electricity to locals living around the residential camps of Toot oil field and the neighbouring Missa Keswaal oil field.^[3][7]

There are five main oil refineries in Pakistan with a combined capacity of approximately 450,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd), equivalent to 20 million tonnes per annum.^[8] Cnergyico PK Limited is the largest oil refiner, with its oil refining complex in the Balochistan province able to refine up to 156,000 barrels per day of crude oil.^[9] The country's five oil refineries process crude oil produced in Pakistan and from other countries to produce refined petroleum products such as High Speed Diesel (HSD), Motor Gasoline (MS), Furnace Oil (FO), Light Diesel Oil (LDO), High-Octane Blending Component (HOBC), Jet fuel (JP-1&JP-8), Kerosene, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and Naphtha. The domestic oil refining industry typically meets 60% of Pakistan's diesel, 30% of motor gasoline, and 100% of jet fuel demand. The jet fuel is primarily used for defence purposes.^[8]

 

Natural gas production is at a relatively high level and remaining reserves are estimated to be about 885.3 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.). Pakistan's gas fields are only expected to last for about another 20 years at the most due to heavy industrial usage.^[10][11]

The Sui gas field is the biggest natural gas field in Pakistan. It is located near Sui in Balochistan. The gas field was discovered in the late 1952 and the commercial exploitation of the field began in 1955. Sui gas field accounts for 6% of Pakistan's gas production.^[12] Remaining reserves are estimated to be at about 800 billion cubic feet (tcf) and the daily production is around 500 million cubic feet (14,000,000 m³) of natural. The operator of the field is Pakistan Petroleum Limited.

• Cnergyico Pk Limited
• Attock Group of Companies
• Oil industry
• Iran–Pakistan–India gas pipeline

• Map of the oil and gas infrastructure in Pakistan