Islamabad, October 09, 2019 (PPI-OT): Senate Standing committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources in its meeting on Wednesday was given a briefing about the new discoveries in oil and gas sector in the country especially in Kohat, Karak, and northern areas along with the estimated quantity of the same and efforts made for further exploration of oil and gas reserves in the country. Discovery of Tough-I in Kohat was made at depth of 3200 meters in August 2019.
The recoverable reserves will give 0.386 MMSTB oil and 32 BCF gas. The well was tested at the rate of 12.7 MMSCFD of gas and 240 BPD of condensate through choke size 32/64. Discovery of Mela-5 at depth of 5070 meters was made in July 2018. The recoverable reserves are 1.5 MMSTB oil and 4 BCF gas and its reserves are already being transferred to SNGPL and Attock oil refinery. Discovery of Chanda-I at depth of 4550 meter was made in June 2018 for 5.2 MMSTB oil and 27 BCF gas and it is also a developed field. 11 more exploratory/appraisal/development wells are under drilling and 30 more are to be done in future.
Regarding the matter of non-regularization of services of 13 engineers by OGDCL appointed under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Program the Committee was told by Executive Director OGDCL that there are clear instructions of Supreme Court that contract employees have to go through a press advertisement and a test and the Balochistan high court decision asking for regularization will be challenged in Supreme Court by OGDCL. Members of the Committee, however, were of the view that many people have been regularized without giving any tests and many those who have tests were not. Secretary petroleum proposed that the matter be taken up in the OGDCL board in the next meeting and be solved on a considerate basis. The committee decided to recommend to the board to hold the meeting as early as possible.
The issue of cancellation contract of Lease Agreement No. 151/8 by Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd, Collieries Office Sharigh, Distract Hasnain, Balochistan was also discussed and MD PMDC told the committee that the contractor for agreement No. 151/8 was cancelled because he violated a number of times and despite warnings he did not improve the conditions. While discussing the grievances of Muttahida Anjuman-e-Phkhta Chaey Faroushaan Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding discrimination in charging bills as compared to those being charged from tandoors, the Committee recommended putting simple roadside chaey hotels on the same rate as tandoors.
The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator Mohsin Aziz her at the Parliament House on Wednesday and was attended among others by senators Behramand Tangi, Mir Kabeer Muhammad Shahi, Shamim Afridi, Nauman Wazir Khattak, Dr. Jahanzeb Jamaldini, Sardar Yaqoob Nasir, Khanzada Khan, Taj Muhammad Afridi, Lt. Gen. Salahuddin Tirmzi, Secretary Petroleum, MD PMDC and officials from relevant departments.
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H.No.7, Cat-II, G-8/2,
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