Pakistan has claimed to have found new reserves of crude oil and natural gas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif described this discovery as a major achievement for the country and said that it will strengthen the foreign exchange reserves and reduce the expenditure on oil and gas imports.
Search in Nashpa block of Kohat district
According to Pakistani agencies, oil and gas reserves have been found in Nashpa block of Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is estimated that about 4,100 barrels of crude oil and 10.5 million cubic feet of gas can be extracted daily from this site.
Expectation to reduce dependence on imports
The Pakistani government says that this discovery will help in meeting the country’s energy needs and reduce dependence on imports. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a high-level meeting of the petroleum and gas sector that exploration of local oil and gas will strengthen foreign exchange reserves and reduce expenditure on purchases.
OGDCL confirms discovery
Pakistan’s Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has confirmed the discovery of oil and gas in Nashpa Block. Company officials said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated OGDCL and other concerned agencies for the discovery.
Target of new gas connections by 2026
During the meeting, officials informed that adequate gas was supplied to customers this year. Now the government aims to provide 350,000 new gas connections by June 2026. Pakistan is presenting this discovery as a major success in the energy sector.
Resources are there, but development is still a question
However, Pakistan has earlier also claimed to have found oil and gas reserves in Balochistan. People of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan say that the natural resources of their areas are used, but the income from them is not spent on local development.
Why are Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan lagging behind?
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are still considered much less developed than Punjab. Local people allege that Pakistani Punjabis dominate the army, politics and administration, while they do not benefit from the resources of their own areas. This is the reason why there has been dissatisfaction and protests in these areas for a long time.
