Along desire for the revilement of large reserves of oil and gas off Karachi coast weakened after it was declared offshore drilling in Kekra-1 had been stopped owing to no reserves were found. About 17 trials have been made in the past, but all stayed fruitless in spite of data from each drilling. Substantially due to political publicity Pakistanis were very much hopeful about finding large oil and gas reserves in the country’s territorial waters in the Arabian Sea Kekra-1 well at Indus G-Block which is positioned approximately 280 kilometers southwest of Karachi coast. Around $100 million has been invested in the project. The petroleum department states that the data received from the drilling and other seismic studies of the well will be fruitful for forthcoming exploration activities in the region. In this context India found offshore reserves from its ‘Bombay High well’ after 40 attempts. The drilling was launched around four months back by ENI, an Italian oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) huge, which is the operator of Kekra-1.The other four partners of the well were ExxonMobil of the US one of the world’s largest oil and gas firms, Pakistan Petroleum Limited and the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL). On the basis of past data the expectation were high and at the start of drilling the chances of success were between 13 and 15 percent, which is pretty good.
Among the highest expectation of finding the hydrocarbon reserve is about 20 percent, consequently record was satisfactory to go on with drilling. The offshore well in Pakistani waters was excavated in 1963 by a US E&P company, the well was found barren. Another was carried out by Dutch E&P firm Shell in 2005, but was not successful to find hydrocarbon reserves. Pakistan should not be disheartened but should continue its hard efforts to find hydrocarbon reserves as there was a large area where reserves had been anticipated by specialists. The international leading scientists had shown that hydrocarbon reserves were found in the sea facing the river basins. The news was a throwback for Pakistan, which had placed high inspiration in the project in finding out enough oil for its needs. Energy-hungry Pakistan has huge reservoirs of natural gas. But large oil fields are still to be discovered in Pakistan, which has made several futile attempts to find oil in the Arabian Sea. It should be mentioned that Pakistan imports maximum of its oil from the Middle East, especially with regard to Saudi Arabia. Some of the surveyors find the block ‘Indus-G’ similar to Indian offshore Bombay High oilfields, which produces 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, whereas some identify it like wells producing hydrocarbons in the oil and gas affluent country like Kuwait in the Gulf. Pakistan assembles nearly 15 to 20 percents of its energy needs through local oil and gas exploration and production, while the rest is utilized through costly imports. The oil and gas imports cost Pakistan approximately one-fourth of the total import bills per year. Pakistan has come into existence one of the largest gas (liquefied natural gas) importers in the last several years at the world grade.
The 18th attempt to find oil off the coast of Karachi in Kekra-1 has crashed and with it, the desires and aspiration of the public also. Data from each of the past 17 trials were encouraging and had lured some of the highest names in offshore drilling. Such companies do not adventure to spend in millions of dollars if there is no solid data and a satisfactory chance to strike a well successfully. Competent Authority say that even in the best of times, the success rate for successfully charging a well is one in may be five, and that the latest disappointment does not explain there is no oil or other hydrocarbon reserves there rather it just explanation that it will take a little more explanation to find the right appropriate. The main problem, though, is not that oil was not found in the four-month-long on the ground. The issue is the greatest political publicity and the anticipation attached to successfully charging the well. Compared with India it is noted that it had found offshore reserves after 40 attempts. In this context Pakistan should continue its hardship because there is a long area where the existence of reserves is. Drilling was carried out up to a depth of more than 5,500 meters in Indus-G block. In latest months, the government had time and again reposed its desire on the discovery of the reserves, and many citizens were confidence of a change in adventures for the country. Two months back this year, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced that the nation should expect good news soon, indicating at the probability of discovering major offshore oil reserves. The Petroleum departmental authorities are not very much clear as to reason why Prime Minister Imran Khan time and gain disclosed that Pakistan is going to discover the biggest oil and gas reserves in the country’s deep sea, as drilling up to the required depth of 5,500 meters.