Pakistan Petroleum targets 2026 spud for nation’s first offshore well

State-owned Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has revealed historic plans to drill the country’s first offshore oil well in March 2026.

This project will be located off the southern shoreline of the Sindh province. Pakistan’s oil resources have so far come from its onshore discoveries. Now, the country is ready to start the search for new hydrocarbon reserves offshore.

Currently, the country imports more than 60 per cent of its oil. A bullseye offshore would assist the country tremendously and protect it from global commodity price swings.

The operation will be done on the Sirani block near the Sujawal district, some 30 km from shore. PPL believes there is a high probability of a discovery in this location and expects assessment results within three months of the spud date. The project relies on seismic data acquired by the company in 2006–07.

If the initial discovery is successful, the company could eventually drill up to 25 wells in the area.

To facilitate this undertaking, PPL is constructing a reinforced site to withstand unstable subsoil and tidal movements. Construction is currently underway for loading and offloading jetties, while the equipment will be transported via barge using a 17 km natural channel.

PPL has recently acquired eight new exploration blocks in the southern region. Success at Sirani could increase the prospectivity of nearby blocks like Block C operated by Turkish Petroleum.