Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) will create a platform at sea to speed up offshore oil and gas exploration. The project, a first for the country, will support round-the-clock operations and strengthen energy ties with Türkiye.
Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) plans to build an artificial island 300 km (190 miles) off Sindh’s coast. The platform will be six feet high to prevent high tides from stopping exploration work, said PPL’s General Manager Arshad Palekar.
Construction is expected to finish by February 2026, after which exploration will start immediately. The project follows Abu Dhabi’s experience, where similar islands have been successfully used for drilling.
Offshore Exploration and Government Efforts
Last month, PPL partnered with Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company (TPOC), a subsidiary of Türkiye’s national oil company, to explore the Eastern Offshore Indus C Block. The partnership will help explore offshore oil and gas and improve energy cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye.
Pakistan is facing a gap between its oil supply and demand. This project is part of efforts to increase production and reduce reliance on imports
The Energy Ministry was bidding for 23 of 40 offshore exploration blocks, covering around 53,500 square kilometers. This was Pakistan’s first such bidding round in nearly 20 years. They awarded 23 offshore exploration blocks to four consortia led by local firms, some in partnership with foreign companies like TPAO.
