ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s state-run exploration and production company, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC), on Thursday announced a major oil and gas discovery from the Nashpa Block in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, marking a significant development for Pakistan’s energy sector and ongoing exploration efforts.
In a statement, OGDC said it had achieved successful production from the Baragzai X-1 exploratory well in Kohat district, with an output of 4,100 barrels of oil per day and 10.5 million cubic feet of gas per day.
According to the company, the well reached a total depth of 5,170 metres and identified a 187-metre hydrocarbon-bearing interval within the Datta Formation.
Subsequent cased-hole drill stem testing confirmed commercial production at a 32/64-inch choke, with a wellhead flowing pressure of 3,880 pounds per square inch gauge.
A company spokesperson said OGDC serves as the operator of the Nashpa exploration licence with a 65 percent working interest, while Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Government Holdings Private Limited hold 30 percent and 5 percent stakes, respectively.
According to the company, the latest discovery is expected to bolster national energy reserves while expanding OGDC’s resource base. It said that speeding up the development of indigenous oil and gas resources would improve the energy supply-demand balance and lessen dependence on costly imports.
The discovery builds on earlier success at the Baragzai X-01 (Slant) well, which confirmed the hydrocarbon potential of the Nashpa Block.
OGDC announced in December 2025 that the well was producing 2,280 barrels of oil per day and 5.6 million standard cubic feet of gas per day—the first such discovery from the Kingriali Formation in the area.
Spudded on December 24, 2024, the well was drilled to a depth of 5,170 metres. Officials said the discovery helped de-risk deeper exploration efforts and opened up fresh prospects for additional hydrocarbon discoveries in the area.
Pakistan has long been regarded as having significant potential for tight and shale gas, which is locked within dense rock formations and requires specialised extraction techniques. However, commercial-scale production of these resources has yet to materialise.
OGDCL’s renewed exploration push coincides with debate over Pakistan’s hydrocarbon potential, sparked by US President Donald Trump’s claim that the country has “massive” oil reserves—claims analysts say lack credible geological support.
The company is fast-tracking its shale gas programme, moving from one test well to five or six planned wells in 2026–27, each expected to yield 3 to 4 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
Officials said a successful outcome could see the programme expanded to hundreds, or even over 1,000, wells nationwide.
