Pakistan producing 4,058 mmcf of gas daily

NAVEED BUTT

ISLAMABAD: At present, the average production of natural gas in the country is 4,058 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd).

The volume of gas, which is currently injected into Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) system from Punjab on average is 140.535 mmcfd and KP is 356.007 mmcfd.

There are 169 natural gas reservoirs in the country.

According to information provided to Senate Secretariat, KP is presently producing about 8.89 percent of total gas volume of the country, while 2.7 trillion cubic feet (TCF) original gas reserves have been recovered so far which, is about 5 percent of the total original discovered gas reserves of the country.

The Senate was informed that during last ten years ending June 2011, OGDC had drilled 247 wells, out of which 125 wells were exploratory and 122 were appraisal and development. Out of these, 79 wells were dry and were abandoned, and the amount spent on these wells was Rs 27.86 billion.

The OGDC had drilled wells in various parts of the country ranging in depth from 1000 metre to more than 5000 metre. The cost of wells also varies from $ 7 million to $ 25 million, depending on the depth of the well and geological and drilling complications encountered.

Similarly, total amount allocated to Basin Study/Exploration Research Department for last eight years was Rs 1135 million. During the said period Geological Parties conducted 18 geological surveys and mapping projects in different exploration blocks of OGDC.