OGDC announces oil, gas discovery in Kohat

ISLAMABAD: Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC), Pakistan’s leading exploration and production company, on Friday announced a significant oil and gas discovery at its exploratory well Baragzai X-01 (Slant) in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The discovery has been made over the Lumshiwal Formation within the Nashpa Exploration Licence.

During a Cased Hole Drill Stem Test (CHDST-04) conducted in the Hangu and Lumshiwal formations, the well produced 225 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) and 1.01 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas through a 32/64-inch choke at a wellhead flowing pressure of 190 psig, OGDC said in a statement.

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

The well was successfully drilled to a total depth of 5,170 metres into the Kingriali Formation.

Based on wireline log evaluations, three earlier cased hole drill stem tests were conducted in the Kingriali, Datta, and Samana Suk plus Shinawari formations, which also resulted in oil and gas discoveries.

The latest test over Lumshiwal further confirms the commercial viability and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the block.

OGDC operates the Nashpa Exploration Licence with a 65 percent working interest, in partnership with Pakistan Petroleum Limited (30 percent) and Government Holdings (Private) Limited (5 percent carried interest).

OGDC said that the discovery will strengthen Pakistan’s energy security by enhancing indigenous hydrocarbon production. It will add to the reserves base of OGDC and its joint venture partners while contributing towards narrowing the country’s energy supply-demand gap.