Mainly, the projects focus on up-gradation of testing laboratories of Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) to ensure provision of quality petroleum products to consumers, official sources told APP.

The government has allocated an amount of Rs 220 million for strengthening and up-gradation of Karachi Laboratories Complex (KLC) at HDIP Operations Office, Karachi, while Rs 50 million would be spent on up-gradation of HDIP's POL testing facilities at Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and ISO Certification of Petroleum Testing Laboratory at Islamabad, they added.

An amount of Rs 100 has been reserved for upgrdation of Chemical and Petrology-Mineralogy Labs at Geological Survey of Pakistan Southern Zone Karachi.

Whereas, Rs 100 million would be utilized for expansion and up-gradation of Pakistan Petroleum Corehouse (PETCORE) for its sustainable operations to facilitate oil and gas exploration research in Pakistan.

Besides, funds amounting to Rs 10 million have been allocated for geological mapping of 50 Toposheets, out of 354 Unmapped Toposheets of Outcrop areas of Balochistan province.