KARACHI — Pakistan has approved a new offshore exploration consortium, allowing Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company (TPOC) to assume operatorship of the Eastern Offshore Block-C as part of the country’s renewed push to revive offshore drilling.
The decision was confirmed Tuesday after the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved Pakistan Petroleum Limited’s (PPL) request to reassign part of its working interest in the block. Following the restructuring, PPL will retain a 35% stake, while TPOC will hold 25% and become the block’s operator after formal agreements are finalized. Mari Energies and state-run Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) make up the remainder of the consortium.
Move Expected to Boost Technical Capability and Investment
“This will bring valuable international offshore operating experience to Pakistan’s exploration landscape,” said Khurram Schehzad, Adviser to the Finance Ministry, in a post on X. He added that the transition is expected to significantly enhance technical capabilities, operational efficiency, and overall project delivery.
The block includes a drill-ready prospect that the consortium is now gearing up to pursue — a development officials believe could attract fresh foreign investment into Pakistan’s underexplored offshore sector.
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Drilling Preparations to Move Forward
With the ECC’s approval, the consortium will advance preparations for offshore drilling operations. Pakistan has made a renewed push to tap its offshore potential after years of slow progress and limited exploration activity.
Pakistan’s Offshore Potential Remains Largely Untapped
In October, Pakistan awarded bids for 23 out of 40 offshore blocks covering roughly 53,500 square kilometres — the country’s first offshore bidding round since 2007.
Despite having a 300,000 square kilometre offshore zone bordering energy-rich Oman, the UAE, and Iran, only 18 wells have been drilled since Pakistan’s independence. Experts say the low drilling activity has made it difficult to fully assess the country’s hydrocarbon potential.
