Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the need to prioritize the discovery of new oil and gas reserves in order to reduce Pakistan’s dependence on petroleum imports and save valuable foreign exchange.
According to sources, while chairing a high level meeting on petroleum sector affairs, the prime minister directed officials to connect the entire supply chain of petroleum products, from import to delivery to consumers, with a digital system on a priority basis. He said that digitalizing the supply chain would help prevent smuggling of petroleum products and bring major financial benefits to the national treasury.
During the meeting, a briefing was given on the oil and gas sector roadmap, in which it was revealed that Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has discovered large oil and gas reserves in the Nalpa Block located in Kohat district. The prime minister congratulated the nation on this discovery and praised the performance of the concerned institutions. Officials told the meeting that these new reserves could produce up to 4,100 barrels of oil per day.
The prime minister was informed that, compared to last year, domestic consumers are being provided gas with better pressure during this winter. Work on RLNG connections is progressing rapidly, and a target has been set to complete 350,000 connections by June 2026.
It was further shared in the meeting that pipelines for the Shewa and Battani gas fields have been laid, while pipeline installation from the Kot Palak gas field is currently in progress.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, and other senior officials.
