ISLAMABAD – After arrival of drilling ship at offshore Indus G-Block calledKekra-I (an ultra deep well), the Exxon Mobil and ENI are poised toinitiate exploration activities during the next week to assess gaspotential there.“The drill ship has arrived and will start its work on January 7 or 8,”official sources told APP on Thursday.The Exxon Mobil, a US-based and one of the world’s largest oil and gascompanies, has re-entered Pakistan’s market along with joint venturepartner ENI for the exploration, believingthat the country had gas reserves for 50 years.Supply vessels, carrying exploration equipment for ‘Mother of All Rigs,’had started arriving and docking 230 km off the Karachi coast from Decemberlast.Meanwhile, the government has exempted additional customs duty on import ofoffshore drilling equipment to encourage Exploration and Production (E&P)companies to tap unexploredhydrocarbon reserves in the country.“In future, there will be clearance of vessels, drill ships and helicopterswithout any levy, duty or charges whatsoever including customs duty,”according to a press release issued byPetroleum and Natural Resources Division the other day.This dispensation is extended to all companies and joint venture partnerswho are party to any Production Sharing Agreement with the government foroffshore petroleum explorationand production activities, it added.The equipment of both the companies, consisted of three platform supplyvessels, two helicopters and one drilling ship, would be exempted from thecustoms duty. This facility will also help attract more multinationalcompanies to come to Pakistan, it added.
Pakistan on the verge of discovering one of the largest ever hydrocarbon reserves of its history
