Fuel extraction in Pakistan

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

According to the

United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), Pakistan may have over 9 billion barrels (1.4×109 cubic metres) of petroleum oil and 105 trillion cubic feet (3.0 trillion cubic metres) in natural gas (including shale gas) reserves.[1]

As per BP' Statistical Review of World Energy 2016, at the end of 2015 Pakistan had the following proved reserves of fuels: 0.5 Trillion cu m of natural gas and 2.07 Billion tons of coal (sub-bituminous and lignite).[2]

Oil industry

Main article: Petroleum industry in Pakistan
USGS map of countries where oil
is located.

Discovery

Pakistan Oilfields explored and began drilling these fields with Soviet help in 1961 and activity began in the Toot oilfield during 1964.[3][4]

History

The Toot area is one of the oldest oil producing regions in Pakistan with the first

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.[3] Oil production was entirely confined to the Potwar Plateau till 1981, when Union Texas Pakistan subsidiary 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

Missa Keswaal oil field.[3][6]

Petroleum refining

The crude oil that is produced in Pakistan gets refined at home at five oil refineries which are Cnergyico Pk Limited, Pak-Arab Refinery Company Limited (PARCO), Pakistan Refinery Limited, Attock Refinery Limited, and National Refinery Limited.[7] The combined processing capacity of these five refineries is roughly 420,000 barrels per day. Cnergyico Pk Limited is Pakistan's largest oil refiner with installed processing capacity of 156,000 barrels per day, accounting for around 37% of Pakistan's total oil refining capacity.[8]

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.[9][10]

The Largest Gas Producing province of Pakistan is Sindh.

The Sui gas field is the biggest natural gas field in Pakistan. It is 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 6% of Pakistan's gas production.[11] Remaining reserves are estimated to be at about 800 billion cubic feet (tcf) and the daily production is around 500 million cubic feet (14,000,000 m3) of natural. The operator of the field is Pakistan Petroleum Limited
.

Coal industry

Main article: Coal mining in Pakistan

History

Toot oilfield
in 1964.

Environmentalists are now concerned that Pakistan has recently discovered one low and four 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.

Thar desert lignite mines will also be expanded soon for industrial usage too. This Thar's mine is open-cut mine. These mines are relatively safer to mine from. While Baluchistan's mines are underground mines, these are dangerous to mine from.[12]

Pakistan Baluchistan's mines have seen several accidents over the years among which the one which happened in 2011 was with the greatest number of casualties. According to one news paper the death toll rose up to 45,[13] though majority agree upon that it ranged from 40 to 45 people.

Special measures are being employed to reduce the resulting

sulphur
fume emission problems after it is burnt.

Types of coal found

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

power stations and cement works in Pakistan
.

Fischer Tropsch technology. There are discussions on setting up a plant with Shenhua Ningxia Coal of China.[14]

Workings

Musakhel Balochistan (Kingri-Aram-Safa Coal fields)

  • Location- 175 km from Multan and 290 km from Quetta
  • Types of Coal- Sub-bituminous to Bituminous and Lignite
  • Total Coal Reserves- 17.5 Millions
  • Production- 56,009 Tons

Lakhara

  • Location-176 km north of Karachi, 65 km northwest of Hyderabad
  • Type of Coal-Sub-bituminous to lignite
  • Total coal resources- 38.82 million tons
  • Production- (2003–04) 217,967 tons

Dengari

  • Location- 35 km south-east of Quetta
  • Type of Coal- Sub-bituminous-A to high volatile B-bituminous
  • Total coal resources- 15.42 million tonnes
  • Production- (2003–04) 15,043 tons

Sor-range

  • Location - 16 km east of Quetta
  • Type of Coal- Sub-bituminous-A to high volatile B-bituminous
  • Total coal resources- 12.95 million tonnes
  • Production- (2003–04) 56,132 tons

Nowshera (Shaidu, Khawrai, Pethawo area)

  • oil and gas resources available

Shahrig

  • Coal field location- 160 km north-east of Quetta
  • Type of Coal- Sub Bituminous B to heavy volatile Bituminous-A
  • Total coal resources- 28.97 million tonnes
  • Production- (2003–04) 94,583 tons

Sonda

  • Coal field location- Near to Quetta
  • Type of Coal- Sub Bituminous B to heavy volatile Bituminous-A
  • Total coal resources- N/A.
  • Production- (2003–04) N/A.

Lignite industry

Production

Fischer Tropsch technology. There are discussions on setting up a plant with Shenhua Group of China.[14]

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

Usage

Fischer Tropsch technology. There are discussions on setting up a plant with Shenhua Group of China.[14][15]

Nowadays

Kingri
Area of Balochistan

Uranium production

History

Pakistan has had a long history of exporting small amounts of

weapons
programs.

World uranium output in 2005.

Mines

The Wahi Pandi, Karunuk (

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. [citation needed
]

Punjab, Pakistan. Baghalchur is the site of abandoned Uranium mines now being used as a nuclear dump. The residents of the area along with several Pakistani environmentalist groups are opposed to the nuclear dump being used by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), and have asked the government to invest in better techniques in the disposal of nuclear waste materials.[16]

Output

Pakistan produced about 45 tonnes of uranium in 2006.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Business News Live, Share Market News - Read Latest Finance News, IPO, Mutual Funds News". The Economic Times.
  2. ^ "Statistical Review of World Energy - Energy economics - BP". bp.com.
  3. ^ a b c "Canadian Firm to Develop Pakistan Oilfield - PakPositive". pakpositive.com.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-05-28. Retrieved 2007-12-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "International Sovereign Energy Inks Deal for Toot Oilfield". Rigzogne. 2005-01-05. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  6. ^ "International Sovereign Energy Inks Deal for Toot Oilfield". www.rigzone.com.
  7. ^ "Chinese company visits Gwadar to materialize $4.5bn oil refinery project". Daily Times. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  8. ^ Khan, Israr. "Refining business". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  9. ^ "Futures and Commodity Market News Categories : Courtesy, TradingCharts". news.tradingcharts.com.
  10. ^ "Sui gas field (Pakistan Petroleum Limited website)". ppl.com.pk.
  11. ^ "PPL broadens its horizons". Upstream Online. NHST Media Group. 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  12. ^ "NEPRA | Home" (PDF). www.nepra.org.pk. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  13. ^ "'No survivors in Sorange mine collapse'". The Express Tribune. March 21, 2011.
  14. ^ a b c "China to help in turning Thar coal into diesel". www.thenews.com.pk.
  15. ^ "Beijing agrees to turn Thar coal into diesel, gas under CPEC". www.thenews.com.pk.
  16. ^ "Villagers' fears of nuclear waste". April 28, 2006 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  17. ^ "World Uranium Mining 2016 - World Nuclear Association". www.world-nuclear.org.

External links

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