Fuel extraction in Pakistan

Oil industry

A USGS map of countries where oil is located.

Discovery

Pakistan's first oil field was found in the late 1952 in Balochistan near a giant Sui gas field. The Toot oil field was not discovered until the early 1960s in the Punjab. It covers 122.67 square kilometres (47.36 sq mi). Pakistan Petroleum Pakistan Oilfields explored and began drilling these field with Soviet help in 1961 and activity began in Toot during 1964.[1][2][3]

History

The Toot area is one of the oldest oil producing regions in Pakistan with the first oilwell drilled in 1964 when President Ayub Khan encouraged a mineral development policy. It is located in the Pothohar Plateau, Punjab Province, which is located approximately 135 km southwest of the capital city of Islamabad. In 1964 the first well was drilled and commercial production started in 1967. There are about 60 million barrels of oil in place of which 12%-15% is recoverable. At its peak during 1986, the field was producing approximately 2,400 barrel of oil per day. It has grown steadily since then, producing both oil and, to a lesser degree, natural gas.[1] Oil production was entirely confined to the Potwar Plateau till 1981, when Union Texas Pakistan discovered its first oil-field in Lower Sindh. By 1998-1999, the Lower Sindh gas-fields were producing more oil than the Potohar Plateau. Since then, new deposits have also been found here.

Modern exploration

In 2005, the Vancouver-based 'International Sovereign Energy' signed a memorandum of understanding with the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan's national oil company, to develop the Toot field.[4] Schlumberger Oilfield Services first started operations in early 2006. After favorable results, the Vancouver based 'Junior oil' and International 'Sovereign Energy Corp'. Oil and gas exploration companies signed a memorandum of agreement with the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan's national oil company, in mid-2005, to develop the Toot field in Punjab Province, near the capital city of Islamabad. The company is also providing electricity to locals living around the residential camps of Toot oil field and the neighbouring Missa Keswaal oil field.[1][5]

Pakistan Oilfields Limited

The Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL), is a subsidiary of the Attock Group of Companies, was incorporated on November 25, 1950. In 1978, Pakistan Oilfields took over the exploration and production business of Attock Oil Company. Since then, Pakistan Oilfields has been investing independently. Pakistan Oilfields is a leading oil and gas exploration and production company listed on all the three stock exchanges of Pakistan.[6][7]

Subsidiary of Pakistan Oilfields Limited

Natural gas industry

Countries where natural gas fields are located

Natural gas production is at a relatively high level and remaining reserves are estimated to be about 885.3 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.). Pakistan's gas fields are only expected to last for about another 20 years at the most due to heavy industrial usage.[8][9]

The Sui gas field is the biggest natural gas field in Pakistan. It is located near Sui in Balochistan. The gas field was discovered in the late 1952 and the commercial exploitation of the field began in 1955. Sui gas field accounts for 35% of Pakistan's gas production.[10] Remaining reserves are estimated to be at about 800 billion cubic feet (tcf) and the daily production is around 660 million cubic feet (19,000,000 m3) of natural. The operator of the field is Pakistan Petroleum Limited.

Coal industry

History

Coal was first discovered across Pakistan and the rest of South Asia in the 1880s and was used by the British-owned railway companies under colonial rule. Later, post-colonial Pakistan had used coal to fuel its industry from independence to the discovery of the Baluchistan's Sui gas field in 1952 and the Toot oilfield in 1964.

Environmentalists are now concerned that Pakistan has recently discovered 1 low and 4 low to medium quality coal seams in the Punjab and plans to re-fuel its economically important cement industry with it after their oil fields have run dry. Low sulfur coal was recently reported to have been found at the Baluchistan near Quetta as well. There are reports that low a sulfur deposit has been found near Islamabad.

Sindh's Thar desert lignite mines will also be expanded soon for industrial usage too. Special measures are being employed to reduce the resulting fly ash, carbon footprint and sulphur fume emission problems after it is burnt.

Types of coal found

Bituminous coal is a relatively hard and less sulfurus coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen and would be burnt largely on domestic fires after being turned into coke fuel.

Sub-bituminous coal is a coal whose properties range from those of lignite to those of bituminous coal and is used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation. It is set to fuel power stations and cement works in Pakistan.

Lignite is a low-grade, sulfurous coal that is generally used in modified industrial furnaces to generate heat for boilers, coke oven heaters, brick kilns, etc.

Workings

Musakhel Balochistan (Kingri-Aram-Safa Coal fields)

Lakhara

Dengari

Sor-range

Nowshera (Shaidu, Khawrai, Pethawo area)

Shahrig

Sonda

Lignite industry

Production

Sindh's Thar desert and lignite mines in Kingri Balochistan will also be expanded soon for industrial usage. Special measures are being employed to reduce the resulting fly ash, carbon footprint and sulphur fume emission problems after it is burnt.

The Lignite/ Brown Coal of Kingri Coal fields in percentage from 44 - 79 Percent use in formation of Humic Acid. Usage is in high quantity. Lignite can also be a source of fertilizer and soil conditioner.

Usage

Lignite is a low grade, sulphurous coal that is generally used in modified industrial furnaces to generate heat for boilers, coke oven heaters, brick kilns, etc.

Nowadays Lignite use in humic Acid formation from last three years especially of Kingri Area of Balochistan

Uranium production

History

Pakistan has had a long history of exporting small amounts of uranium to the West. The Tumman Leghari mine in South Punjab, Baghalchur mine, Dera Ghazi Khan mine and Issa Khel / Kubul Kel mines in Mianwali District. Pakistan has recently used some in its own nuclear power and weapons programs.

World uranium output in 2005.

Mines

The Wahi Pandi, Karunuk (Sehwan), and Rehman Dhora (Aamri) mines in the, Kirthar Range, Sindh and the Shanawah Deposit, Karak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province are being opened up to meet Pakistan's rising need for uranium, which these sources are issuing at an ore grade: 0.04% Uranium mineral purity rate. The Baghalchur site has several abandoned mines and is now being used as an industrial dumping ground.

Baghalchur is small town in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Baghalchur is the site of abandoned Uranium mines now being used as a nuclear dump. The resident of the area along with several Pakistani environmentalist groups are bitterly opposed to the nuclear dump being used by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) have asked the government to invest in better techniques in the disposal of nuclear waste materials.[11]

Output

Pakistan produced about 45 tonnes of uranium in 2006.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Canadian Firm to Develop Pakistan Oilfield - PakPositive
  2. ↑ http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/divisions/ContentInfo.jsp?DivID=49&cPath=768
  3. ↑ http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/divisions/ContentInfo.jsp?DivID=49&cPath=768_867&ContentID=5217
  4. ↑ "International Sovereign Energy Inks Deal for Toot Oilfield". Rigzogne. 2005-01-05. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  5. ↑ RIGZONE - International Sovereign Energy Inks Deal for Toot Oilfield
  6. ↑ Pakistan Oilfields Limited
  7. ↑ Attock Petroleum Limited
  8. ↑ http://news.tradingcharts.com/futures/5/6/102159565.html
  9. ↑ Sui gas field (Pakistan Petroleum Limited website)
  10. ↑ "PPL broadens its horizons". Upstream Online (NHST Media Group). 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  11. ↑ Villagers' fears of nuclear waste
  12. ↑ http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf23.html

External links

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