ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on matters pertaining to the Petroleum Division, directing that the exploration of new oil and gas resources be prioritized to conserve precious foreign exchange spent on petroleum imports.
The prime minister emphasized that exploring domestic energy resources was critical for national economic stability. He also issued directives to digitize, on a priority basis, the entire supply chain for the import and domestic utilization of oil and gas.
“With the digitization of the oil and gas supply chain, the smuggling of these products will be effectively curbed, which will ultimately benefit the national exchequer,” the prime minister stated.
During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on the comprehensive roadmap for the petroleum and gas sector. It was informed that the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) had discovered significant new reservoirs of oil and gas in the Nashpa Block area of District Kohat.
The prime minister congratulated the nation on this major discovery and appreciated the relevant departments for their dedicated work. The new reserves are expected to yield approximately 4,100 barrels of oil per day.
The meeting was further informed that, during the current winter season, domestic consumers experienced better gas pressure compared to the previous year. Officials also reported that work on RLNG connections has been expedited, with a target of 350,000 new connections to be achieved by June 2026.
“Pipelines for the Sheva and Batani gas fields have been commissioned, while work on the pipeline from the Kot Palak gas field is in progress,” the meeting was told.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, and other senior government officials.