Pakistan's underground massive oil and gas reserves might be going to India: Report

Pakistan's underground massive oil and gas reserves might be going to India: Report

ISLAMABAD - The leading energy expert has raised severe questions on Pakistan’s non-seriousness in the field of exploration of oil and gas, fearing that the country’s reserves might be going to India.

Arshad H Abbasi, an eminent energy expert, and engineer, in his world-renowned document, The Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP), has raised questions as to why Pakistani companies are ignoring the area bordering India for exploration. ------------------------------

He documented that India is producing 1,75000 barrels per day (BPD) from Rajasthan, but Pakistani companies and the energy ministry have been ignoring the potential of the field. He feared that due to lack of exploration from Pakistan, the oil and gas reserves might be migrating to the Indian side.

In this document, Arshad Abbasi has shared a map of the Indian state showing how a backward Indian state by 2009-10 has changed over ten years.

The basin, especially the Jaisalmer Basin, has resources with a potential of 7.8 billion barrels. India Company Carin is planning to invest an additional $5.4 billion to increase its production to 5bpd. The same company plans to drill more than 450 wells over the next three years along the Pakistani border.

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He highlighted that the Tarot Block of Rajasthan, just 10 kilometers away from Pakistan, will soon become a major oil field, highlighting that Pakistani companies could still hit the jackpot by starting drilling in this region.

He underscored a few areas, including districts Sanghar, Sukkur, Ghotki, Kasur, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan, which Pakistani companies should explore. ------------------------------

Through HELP, Arshad H Abbasi attempted to draw the attention to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Petroleum towards the matter, maintaining that the country needed self-reliance in the oil production to cut import bill by more than half.