Islamabad, Apr 9, 2025: Pakistan and Turkiye have reached a major agreement to collaborate on oil and gas exploration, marking a significant milestone during the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025.
Both countries signed a joint bidding agreement, enabling them to jointly compete in an offshore bidding round hosted by Islamabad.
In February 2025, Pakistan’s government introduced an offshore bidding process offering 40 exploration blocks in the Makran and Indus basins.
This initiative presents a key opportunity to attract foreign investment in the country’s energy sector.
A statement issued on Tuesday highlighted that renowned Pakistani energy companies, including Mari Energies, Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), have partnered with the Turkish state-run firm, Turkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi, to jointly participate in the bidding.
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The statement emphasized that this partnership would bring vital foreign direct investment (FDI) to Pakistan while facilitating the transfer of international technologies and expertise to unlock the country’s untapped offshore potential.
During a meeting with Turkey’s Minister for Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister, Ali Pervaiz Malik, expressed optimism for enhanced bilateral cooperation.
The seismic surveys identified substantial offshore reserves, and Pakistan fully committed to supporting and encouraging collaborative exploration efforts.
In another development at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum, Muhammad Ali Tabba, Chairman of National Resources Limited (NRL) and CEO of Lucky Cement, revealed that NRL had uncovered significant copper and gold deposits in Chagai, Balochistan.
NRL, a wholly owned Pakistani company, secured a lease for the area in October 2023, which contains two promising porphyry prospects with strong exploration potential.
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Over the course of 15 months, NRL has identified 18 new prospects, with one, named “Tang Kaur,” progressing to an advanced drilling stage.
Tabba informed the forum that NRL had drilled 13 diamond holes, covering 3,517 meters, and plans to continue drilling at Tang Kaur in May 2025, followed by several years of detailed exploration and feasibility studies.
The team will also continue to explore other prospects and leases.
NRL obtained a lead and zinc exploration license adjacent to a renowned deposit, where they have already conducted a feasibility study.
Additionally, the company is evaluating the feasibility of downstream processing within a comprehensive metal value chain.
NRL emphasized the importance of local communities, stating that over 90% of their workforce is employed locally.
The company is actively collaborating with the Balochistan government and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to secure two additional exploration licenses in Chagai, supported by a dedicated $100 million exploration fund.
In a separate meeting, a high-level Saudi delegation, led by Deputy Minister for Mining Abdulrahman Al-Belushi, met with Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum to discuss enhanced collaboration in the energy and minerals sectors.
The focus of the meeting was on strengthening bilateral ties and exploring new investment opportunities within Pakistan’s oil, gas, and mining industries.
Ali Pervaiz Malik highlighted Pakistan’s abundant energy potential, particularly in minerals and mining, and reiterated the government’s commitment to providing a favorable investment environment.
The Saudi delegation praised the Forum, advocating for its annual continuation.
Furthermore, Abdullah Al Shamrani, CEO of the Saudi Geological Survey, extended an invitation for a team from Pakistan’s Geological Survey to visit Saudi Arabia for knowledge sharing and technological collaboration.
