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NWFP oil exploration saga

MEHMUD AHMED

SHAKARDARA, (KOHAT): The officials of the OGDC-Zaver Petroleum joint venture say that the petroleum exploration in Kohat plateau has a 64 years old story that started with the Burmah Oil drilling two shallow wells near the Chore Luki village in 1934.

They said the drilling was close to surface oil seepage and did not provide encouraging results.

It was followed 34 years later with more oil companies conducting geological and geophysical surveys of Kohat basin in 1970. Among those were the world majors, Amoco and Gulf Petroleum, Taxes Gulf, Crescent, Petrol-Canada, Lasmo, PPL, POL and of course the Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC). Those were reported to have drilled 16 exploratory wells to-date in the province.

In its renewed effort, launched a decade ago by the OGDC, it deployed the first digital seismic equipment to undertake seismic survey of Shakardara area. First well at Shakardarra location was drilled by OGDC in 1989 wherein positive oil and gas indications were encountered.

Kohat plateau is geologically most complex region of Pakistan. Other oil companies after conducting the survey abandoned the area considering it to be high cost, high risk and having poor prospects.

However, OGDC was consistent in its exploratory efforts and acquired new seismic and geological data and taking a lead from the results of the Shakardara well, drilled Chanda exploratory well close to Shakardara Town which resulted in opening up the geological frontier of Kohat Plateau. M/s. Zaver Petroleum Reposed confidence in OGDC's technical abilities and joined the joint venture in 1994.

Chanda well # 1 was drilled to a depth of 4,788 metres . The well on testing flowed 1223 barrels of oil and 5.19 million cubic feet of gas per day at 1/2" choke from Datta Formation of Jurassic age. Another reservoir horizon i.e. Lumshiwal Sandstone on testing gave the flow of 150 barrels of oil and 0.86 million cubic feet of gas per day at 1/2" choke. Besides, there were very good positive indications of oil in Paleocene horizon. The oil from these reservoirs is of good quality having API gravity from 41 to 37 respectively.

Encouraged by the results of Chanda well No.1, OGDC-Zaver Petroleum joint venture was undertaking the drilling of Chanda Deep well # 1 to a target depth of 5,100 metres to probe into petroleum potential of even deeper Triassic reservoir also.

The discovery of hydrocarbons at Chanda well # 1 has opened up the vast terrain of Kohat Plateau as highly prospective region. The prospects of multiple reservoirs, both classic and carbonates point towards the rich potential of the area. This new petroleum province has added new dimensions to the petroleum exploration in northern part of the country. OGDC - Zaver joint venture also acquired Shakardarra Reconnaissance Permit to extend investigation further to the north. The upsurge of the exploratory activities is likely to be witnessed in the region.

The credit of this landmark discovery goes entirely to indigenous efforts of Pakistani professionals of a joint ventures of OGDC as operator, Zaver Petroleum and government.

Zakauddin Malik and Azam Malik, who have been directing the operations in the Frontier Province, told NWFP Governor Mohammad Shafiq and Federal Petroleum Minister Usman Aminuddin that Shakardara explorations were in addition to two other sites in the province.

They said their corporation was also drilling at Karamkhel and Kargloat areas using modern technology and hoped to achieve results.