ISLAMABAD - Oil and Gas Development Company Limited link (OGDCL) has planned to start drilling activities in potential areas of Sindh link in December link this year for exploration of Shale gas link and oil link deposits identified almost five years ago, which would also help determine the cost link of fuel extraction link.
"In pursuit of the Shale gas link exploration, the company link is working to drill the first-ever unconventional Shale gas link well in December link at a fast link track. Following which, the OGDCL board link and its management are also planning to carry out back to back drilling at nine more Shale wells," a senior official privy to petroleum sector developments told APP.
A study completed in collaboration with the United States link Agency for International Development, covering lower and middle link Indus Basin, had identified massive Shale gas link and oil link reserves in 2015 link.
The report confirmed presence of 10,159 trillion cubic feet (TCF) Shale gas link and 2,323 billion link of stock tank link barrels (BSTB) Shale oil link in place resources.
After identification of the deposits, a task had been given to OGDCL and Pakistan link Petroleum Limited to undertake pilot project(s) in potential areas to assess the cost link of extracting Shale gas link and oil link, delayed due to certain reasons.
According to the study, there are 188TCF gas link and 58 BSTB oil link technically recoverable resources, while the risked technically recoverable resources stand at 95TCF gas link and 14 BSTB oil link.
The study covered lower and middle Indus Basin, which geographically spreads over Sindh link, southern parts of Punjab link and eastern parts of Balochistan link. Total area under the study was 271,700km, which is 33 percent of the total sedimentary area of the country.
During the study, a detailed analysis of 124 wells was carried out, including laboratory analysis on Shale cores and cuttings in the United States link. Objectives of the study were to validate Shale gas link resource estimate, initial findings, assess availability of required technology link and infrastructure for Shale gas link operations and formulate guidelines for the Shale gas link policy.
Following the reserves' identification, a dedicated Shale gas link and oil link centre had been established at the Petroleum House to facilitate interested Exploration and Production companies to exploit the potential.