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Pakistan's Vast Oil Reserves

Pakistan has more shale oil than Canada, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) report released on June 13, 2013.

The US EIA report estimates Pakistan's total shale oil reserves at 227 billion barrels of which 9.1 billion barrels are technically recoverable with today's technology. In addition, the latest report says Pakistan has 586 trillion cubic feet of shale gas of which 105 trillion cubic feet (up from 51 trillion cubic feet reported in 2011) is technically recoverable with current technology.

The top ten countries by shale oil reserves include Russia (75 billion barrels), United States (58 billion barrels), China (32 billion barrels), Argentina (27 billion barrels), Libya (26 billion barrels), Venezuela (13 billion barrels), Mexico (13 billion barrels), Pakistan (9.1 billion barrels), Canada (8.8 billion barrels) and Indonesia (7.9 billion barrels).

Pakistan's current annual consumption of oil is only 150 million barrels. Even if it more than triples in the next few years, the 9.1 billion barrels currently technically recoverable would be enough for over 18 years. Similarly, even if Pakistan current gas demand of 1.6 trillion cubic feet triples in the next few years, it can be met with 105 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas for more than 20 years. And with newer technologies on the horizon, the level of technically recoverable shale oil and gas resources could increase substantially in the future.

Source: US EIA Report 2013

As can be seen in the shale resource map, most of Pakistan's shale oil and gas resources are located in the lower Indus basin region, particularly in Ranikot and Sembar shale formations.

Source: US EIA Report 2013

Since the middle of the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution has transformed the world. Energy has become the life-blood of modern economies. Energy-hungry machines are now doing more and more of the work at much higher levels of productivity than humans and animals who did it in pre-industrial era. Every modern, industrial society in history has gone through a 20-year period where there was extremely large investment in the power sector, and availability of ample electricity made the transition from a privilege of an urban elite to something every family would have. If Pakistan wishes to join the industrialized world, it will have to do the same by having a comprehensive energy policy and large investments in the power sector. Failure to do so would condemn Pakistanis to a life of poverty and backwardness.

The availability of large domestic shale oil and gas expands the opportunity to reduce Pakistan's dependence on imports to overcome the current energy crisis and to fuel the industrial economy. But it'll only be possible with high priority given to investments in developing the energy sector of the country.

Comment by Riaz Haq on October 24, 2026 at 11:20am

Pakistan recently awarded , marking its first offshore bidding round in nearly two decades.[1, 2]

Recent Offshore & Onshore Highlights

Offshore Bidding Round: Four local-led consortiums—headed by state-run OGDCL, Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL), Mari Energies, and Prime Energy—won the rights. Turkey's national oil company TPAO joined as a partner with a 25% stake in an awarded block. [1, 2]

Investment Commitment: An initial $82 million will be spent over the first three-year phase, which could scale up to $750 million–$1 billion if full drilling proceeds. [1, 2]

Key Onshore Discoveries:
- The Baragzai X-01 (Baraki) well in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa became a record-producing single oil and gas well, more than doubling its local reserve estimates.
- Production commenced at the Bitrism East 1 exploration well by OGDCL, alongside developments in Spinwam, Chakar, and Faki. [1, 2, 3]

Heavy Crude Technology: OGDCL partnered with Canada's Synergetic Oil Tools Inc. to deploy Passive Energy Tool technology to enhance output from domestic heavy crude fields. [1]

Sector Context

Production vs. Demand: Domestic crude production hovers around 70,000 barrels per day against a national demand of roughly 500,000 barrels per day, leaving the country heavily reliant on fuel imports.[1]

Global Ranking: According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Pakistan ranks around 52nd globally with an estimated 500 million barrels of proven oil reserves, contrary to online rumors claiming massive top-tier rankings. [1]

Comment by Riaz Haq 1 hour ago: Pakistan is advancing its unconventional energy sector through pilot projects and horizontal drilling led by the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) to offset declining conventional natural gas output and expensive LNG imports.

Reserves and Potential

• Indus Basin Estimates: OGDCL estimates the Indus Basin holds roughly 135 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of shale gas in place, with notable concentrations identified in Sindh's Sanghar (74 TCF) and Hyderabad (7.5 TCF) districts.
• Broader Assessments: Historical US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports and geological studies place Pakistan's technically recoverable or in-place shale resources anywhere from 51 TCF to over 105–586+ TCF (with some broader theoretical basin assessments running much higher).
• Key Formations: Major shale-bearing units include the Sembar, Ranikot, Ghazij, Mughal Kot, and Lower Goru formations.

Current Development Status

• Pilot Projects & Horizontal Drilling: OGDCL completed vertical pilot well testing in Sindh (such as the KUC-1 well) and has moved into horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
• Production Projections: Officials estimate that full-scale development could eventually yield up to 800–900 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) of shale gas, though widespread commercial viability and large-scale output will take several years of continued drilling and infrastructure investment.
• Challenges: Development faces hurdles such as complex geological formations, high initial capital and technology requirements, water availability for fracking, and low regulated domestic gas prices.

https://youtu.be/thFrahrTUtM?is=EzPiF41PstfW-ZIU

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