MariEnergies has unveiled a significant natural gas discovery at its Mari Ghazij-1 exploratory well, located within the Mari Development & Production Lease (Mari D&PL) area.
This marks a milestone as the first dedicated exploratory well targeting multiple limestone units within the Ghazij Formation.
The Mari Ghazij-1 well, spudded on November 24, 2022, was successfully drilled to a depth of 1,015 metres.
During a drill stem test, the well demonstrated an impressive gas flow rate of 5.1 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd), with a wellhead flowing pressure of 232 pounds per square inch (psi) on a 64/64-inch choke size.
The exploration concept originated from the Iqbal-1 well, where a thin limestone unit in the Ghazij Formation contributed approximately 500,000 cubic feet per day to production.
This prompted MariEnergies to conduct a detailed study of the limestone units across the Mari D&PL area.
The recent discovery underscores the potential of these formations and highlights the company’s commitment to aggressive exploration strategies aimed at mitigating Pakistan’s declining gas production.
MariEnergies, which operates the Mari D&PL with full ownership, plans to appraise this discovery further to determine its extent and evaluate development options.
The company currently holds a 23 per cent share in Pakistan’s gas market and is focused on maximising production from existing fields while pursuing new exploration opportunities.
In related news, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) announced a hydrocarbon discovery in November 2024 at its Shah Bandar Block in Sindh Province.
The Pateji X-1 exploration well, drilled to a depth of 2,475 metres, targeted the upper sands of the Lower Goru Formation.
This marks PPL’s third consecutive discovery in the block and is expected to significantly bolster Pakistan’s energy security.
PPL operates the Shah Bandar Block with a 63 per cent working interest, alongside joint venture partners Mari Petroleum Company (32 per cent), Sindh Energy Holding Company (2.5 per cent), and Government Holdings (Private) (2.5 per cent).
These discoveries reflect Pakistan‘s ongoing efforts to enhance domestic energy resources amidst growing demand and declining production from mature fields.
