OGDC announces fresh oil, gas discovery in K-P’s Kohat district

Third find in a month to add 3,100 barrels of oil and 8.15 mmcfd of gas

Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) on Tuesday announced another major oil and gas discovery at its exploratory well Baragzai X-01 (Slant) in the Nashpa Block in Kohat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, underlining the area’s growing importance for Pakistan’s energy security.

The well, drilled to a depth of 5,170 metres, successfully tested the Samana Suk and Shinawari formations and is producing 3,100 barrels of oil per day and 8.15 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, OGDC said in a statement. The well flowed through a 32/64-inch choke at a wellhead pressure of 3,010 pounds per square inch gauge, confirming the commercial viability of the discovery.

The latest find marks OGDC’s third discovery in just one month in the same region. Together, the three discoveries are producing 9,480 barrels of oil per day, accounting for about 14.5% of Pakistan’s current domestic crude oil production. Officials said the output is expected to help narrow the energy supply-demand gap and reduce reliance on expensive oil imports.

Read: OGDC ramps up unconventional gas plans

The Baragzai X-01 well was spudded on December 30, 2024, as part of OGDC’s broader effort to assess the hydrocarbon potential of multiple formations in the Nashpa Block. These include Lockhart, Hangu, Lumshiwal, Samana Suk, Shinawari, Datta and Kingriali, with earlier evaluations already leading to discoveries in the Kingriali and Datta formations.

OGDC operates the Nashpa Exploration License with a 65% working interest, while Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Government Holdings Private Limited are joint venture partners. The company said the discoveries would have positive implications for Pakistan’s national energy security.

The continued success of exploration in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa comes as OGDC seeks to tap Pakistan’s tight and shale gas resources, long seen as an underdeveloped domestic energy source. The company plans to accelerate shale gas exploration in 2026-27, starting with a five- to six-well programme that could eventually expand to hundreds, or even more than 1,000, wells across the country.

Officials said the new discoveries come at a critical time as Pakistan struggles with persistent energy shortages, and increased local production could offer some relief to the country’s energy supply crisis.