OGDC reports oil and gas discovery at Bobi Deep-1 in Sanghar

ISLAMABAD: Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) said on Wednesday it had made a new oil and gas discovery at its exploratory well Bobi Deep-1 in Sindh’s Sanghar district, describing it as the first hydrocarbon find from the Massive Sand play within the Bobi and Dhamraki Mining Lease.

In a statement, the company said the well successfully tested the Massive Sand interval of the Lower Goru Formation through a cased-hole Drill Stem Test (DST). According to OGDC, the test yielded 2,000 barrels of oil per day and 1.1 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The company said the result represented a significant step for exploration in the area, adding that the discovery had opened a new window by reducing risk around similar nearby prospects and creating scope for future reserve additions and resource growth.

Technical challenges and resumed drilling

OGDC said the project had earlier run into complex subsurface problems that led to the suspension of drilling operations. The company said it chose not to abandon the prospect and instead pursued what it called an indigenous and innovative solution to address the issue.

Attributing the work to its own teams, OGDC said a multidisciplinary group of geoscientists and engineers worked with the Centre for Pure and Applied Geology at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro. The company said the collaboration involved advanced geophysical surveys, subsurface studies and field evaluations.

According to the statement, that joint effort produced a detailed geological and geophysical model, which helped de-risk the prospect and allowed operations to resume safely. OGDC added that multiple engineering safeguards, specialised civil works and extensive technical evaluations were completed before the drilling rig was redeployed and the target depth was reached.

OGDC said the discovery would help increase domestic oil and gas output, support energy security, cut dependence on imported energy and add to Pakistan’s hydrocarbon reserves base.

In its statement, the company said:

Rather than abandoning the prospect, OGDC relied on indigenous expertise and adopted an innovative approach to address the issue

It also said:

The Bobi Deep-1 success story stands as a testament to OGDC's indigenous innovation, technical excellence, and industry-academia collaboration

Part of a series of discoveries this year

The Sanghar discovery adds to several finds announced by OGDC this year. In April, the company reported what it described as the highest-ever oil and gas discovery from a single well in Pakistan’s history at the Baragzai X-01 exploratory well in the Nashpa Block of Kohat district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

According to OGDC, that well contributes around 10% of Pakistan’s total crude oil production. The company estimated daily revenue from the well at Rs156 million, with projected monthly revenue of Rs4.7 billion and annual revenue of Rs57 billion. OGDC also said the discovery could save about $329 million a year in foreign exchange by reducing reliance on imported fuels.

Earlier, in February, the company announced a gas and condensate discovery at its Dars West-3 well in Sindh’s Tando Allah Yar district. A day later, it reported another oil and gas discovery at the Baragzai X-01 (Slant) exploratory well in Kohat district.