By Zeeshan Mumtaz
ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has released funds amounting to Rs 296.10 million to speed up construction of nine petroleum-related projects in the first four months of the current fiscal year.
The funds were allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2022-23 having a total a budget of Rs 1.48 billion. As per official data, in the total disbursement of funds amounting to Rs 296.10 million, around Rs11.44 million had been spent on petroleum sector projects to boost oil and gas exploration operations during the first four months from July-October 2022.
Public Sector Development Programme and Petroleum funds
According to the PSDP document, the current government reserved Rs 150.560 million for the establishment of National Mineral Data Centre (NMDC) Directorate General of Minerals, Rs 303.700 million for expansion and development of Pakistan Petroleum Corehouse (PETCORE).
PETCORE a sustainable operative to escalate oil and gas exploration research in Pakistan, Rs 100 million for Geological Mapping on 50 Toposheets, out of 354 unmapped Toposheets of Outcrop Area of Balochistan Province, reserved Rs 70 million for Legal Consultancy Services for drafting of Model Mineral Agreement and development of Regulatory Framework (Federal and Provincial Minerals/Coal Departments) and reserved Rs 200 million for Pakistan National Research Programme on Geological calamities like Earthquakes and Landslides and to Acquisition of Data for Active Faults and Potential Landslides Hotspot Zones.
The government of Pakistan has specified Rs 224.809 million for strengthening and up-gradation of Karachi Laboratories Complex (KLC) at operations office of The Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), govt of Pakistan has reserved Rs 100 million for supply of 10 MMCFD gas/RLNG at doorstep of Bostan Special Economic Zone, Balochistan (SSGCL), reserved Rs 74.705 million to supply 13 MMCFD gas/RLNG at doorstep (zero point) of Bin Qasim Industrial Park Special Economic Zone, Sindh (SSGCL) and also reserved the Rs256.735 million to supply 40 MMCFD gas/RLNG at doorstep (zero point) of Allama Iqbal Industrial City Special Economic Zone, Faisalabad (SNGPL).
