Rawalpindi: PPL discovers hydrocarbons from Adhi South X-1 well

OGDC, POL and PPL have a working interest of 50%, 11% and 39%, respectively, in the field

KARACHI: Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) said on Friday that it has discovered hydrocarbons from the exploratory well of Adhi South X-1, in Adhi Mining Lease, according to a company notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

The Adhi South X-1 well is located in the district of Rawalpindi and it was drilled to test the hydrocarbon potential of Khewra sand stone formation. PPL has a 39% working interest in the Adhi mining lease.

At a choke size of 32/64 inches, the well flowed 2.62 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas and 1,550 barrels per day (bpd) of oil, translating into a total discovery size of nearly 2,000 barrels of oil per day.

Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC), Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL) and PPL have a working interest of 50%, 11% and 39%, respectively, in the field.

Earlier in January, PPL announced the discovery of 4.5 million standard cubic feet of tight gas per day, which is minuscule when compared with the overall shortfall of around three billion cubic feet per day (bcfd).

The discovery was just one step towards a lengthy journey as seismic data proves Pakistan holds 10,159 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of shale (tight) gas reserves and 2,323 billion barrels of oil reserves, according to a study conducted by the Pakistan government, along with USAID in January 2014.

Oil and gas exploration and production companies around the world are adopting new, more efficient and less expensive technology to make tight gas commercially viable.

Estimates suggest shale gas production was 25-50% costlier than conventional gas in the US in the recent past. PPL management says that it plans to work on two additional tight gas discoveries to establish commercial viability.

In order to explore tight gas in the lower Indus Basin, the company drilled a well in the Naushehro Feroze exploration lease. Tight gas potential was confirmed through drilling and testing of first well Naushehro Feroze X1 (NF X-1).

NF X-1 is in the Naushehro Feroze block, Sindh, with PPL as operator holding 90% working interest and the remaining 10% being held by Asia Resources Oil Limited.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2018.

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