OGDC achieves 41 wells spudding target in 2006-07

The Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) achieved its target of spudding 41 wells in 2006-07, adding substantial quantity of both gas and oil to its production. Sources said that OGDC has forwarded its annual performance report to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, in which it has indicated that the government had set the target of spudding/drilling 41 wells in 2006-07, and this target had been successfully achieved.
According to the report, on July 2, 2007, OGDC''s oil production stood at 43,199 barrels per day, gas at 1020 mmcfd, LPG 397.8 million tons and sulphur 71 million tons.
The production included percentage that the company got from its joint ventures (JVs). This showed increase in production of all products, although percentage varied from product to product. The company surpassed its seismic targets also.
The report indicated that OGDC achieved 7750 km 2 D and 3050 km 3D seismic survey against 2585 and 1975 km target, respectively.
The rate of success of wells drilled by OGDC during the last fiscal year was very high. Its officials'' claim that OGDC''s ratio of successful discoveries was almost 50 percent of total drilled wells was indicative of its better management and working at the fields. The report also hinted at problems OGDC was facing in conducting operations in Balochistan. However, it gave optimistic view of security situation in that very particular province.
It said that Uch, an area under-exploited in Balochistan for tapping its promising potential for oil and gas production, was comparatively safer as it had no record of mines. It added that during the year there were 8 incidents of mine blasts at Pirkoh, 4 at Loti and 1 at Uch. The number of mine blasts was indicative of the risk the OGDC crews and other personnel were facing in carrying out seismic and exploration activities.
PPL and OGDC field and other installations had been soft target of miscreants since the beginning of armed forces operation in Balochistan. Both these public sector exploration and production (E&P) companies suffered losses in terms of lives of their personnel and installation. This situation forced in particular OGDC to stop seismic and drilling operation in the province. The report was, however, completely silent over the issue. It did not give any idea if OGDC would enter Balochistan for drilling and other activities in a big way, or would keep on waiting for some appropriate time for it.