Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), the state-owned supplier of natural gas and petroleum products, has commissioned the recently installed Oil Handling Facilities (OHF) and commenced production from discovery well DS X-1 in Dhok Sultan Block, situated in the Province of Punjab.
In a filing on the bourse on Friday, the company said it is an operator of the Dhok Sultan Block and holds 75% working interest in it, while Government Holdings (Private) Limited (GHPL) holds 25% working interest.
“The current production rates from DS X-1 are ~ 5 MMscfd gas, ~ 3000 bbls/day oil and ~25 M.Ton/day LPG,” read the filing. Oil production is managed through Dhok Sultan OHF while gas is being processed through Meyal Gas Processing Facilities (MGPF) of Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL), located around 40 km from the OHF in District Attock.
The company added that gas production from this discovery is allocated to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited while the oil production is allocated to Attock Refinery Limited.
“It may be noted that this discovery is under Extended Well Testing (EWT) production period and the collected data during this phase will help in its further development,” it said.
“The commencement of production from DS X-1 will contribute to improving the energy security and saving significant foreign exchange for the country through indigenous hydrocarbon production
Facing a growing energy demand, Pakistan heavily relies on fossil fuels to power its economy and a major chunk of its import bill comes from the purchase of petroleum products and other fuels.
Pakistan oil imports have witnessed a significant surge in recent months, owing to its rise in the international market. Import of the overall petroleum group stood at $14.812 billion, witnessing an increase of 96.09% during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (2021-22) as compared to $7.553 billion reported in the corresponding period last year.
