OGDC boosts daily crude output by 14.5%

Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC), the operator of the Nashpa Exploration Licence, on Tuesday announced another oil and gas discovery at its exploratory well Baragzai X-01 (Slant), located in Kohat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa(K-P).

According to a statement issued by OGDC, the discovery was made in the Samana Suk and Shinawari formations. The well tested positive during a cased-hole drill stem test (CHDST-03), flowing 3,100 barrels of oil per day and 8.15 million standard cubic feet of gas per day through a 32/64-inch choke at a wellhead flowing pressure of 3,010 pounds per square inch gauge.

The latest find at the Nashpa Block marks OGDC's third discovery within a one-month period. During this time, the company has cumulatively discovered 9,480 barrels of oil per day, which accounts for about 14.5% of Pakistan's current domestic crude oil production.

Baragzai X-01 (Slant) was spudded on December 30, 2024 as an exploratory well to assess the hydrocarbon potential of several formations, including Lockhart, Hangu, Lumshiwal, Samana Suk, Shinawari, Datta and Kingriali.

The well was successfully drilled to a total depth of 5,170 metres, reaching the Kingriali Formation. Earlier, based on wireline log evaluations, two cased-hole drill stem tests were conducted in the Kingriali and Datta formations, both of which also resulted in oil and gas discoveries. According to OGDC, the new discovery is expected to contribute to reducing the country's energy supply–demand gap through indigenous resources and will add to the hydrocarbon reserves base of OGDC, its joint venture partners and Pakistan.