Wildcat oil well in NWFP to start production soon

[LahoreEstate]

Sunday, September 13, 2009
By Riaz Khan Daudzai

It is very rightly said that North West Frontier Province is blessed with natural resources; its north is rich in mineral, marble, forest and water resources while its southern parts have vast plains replete with plenty of oil, and gas and uranium deposits.

The latest discovery of oil and gas in the Nashpa block in Karak where second well may become operational even before Eid will enhance the daily oil production of the Karak-Kohat zone of the block by 4,000 barrels and gas production by another 20,000 million square feet (MMSCF).

An official engaged with the project said the well was nicknamed Wildcat for being located in Salkhani Forest area, is about to be completed during the current month.

He said the entire country has been divided into different zones in which Zone-1 is the high-risk zone with high investment requirements; hence the wellhead value is on high side. The gas and oil fields in NWFP are mostly in Zone-1 and 2.

The official, who wished not to be named as he is not supposed to reach media on the project, said the Nashpa Block covers 979.69 sqkm and forms the southern part of Kohat plateau. The block is located in district Mianwali and Attock of Punjab province and district Kohat, Karak and North Waziristan, he said.

He added that besides large uranium mine, the gas has also been recently discovered in Shakardara, Gurguri Makori and Nashpa banda areas.

The most recent discovery in Zone-1 is the Salkhani Wildcat well on which 4,500 meters drilling has been completed and as hoped by the project officials it may be made operational within the next two weeks.

First well in the Nashpa structure has already been functional with the daily production of 3,000 barrels oil and 10 MMSCF gas.

The official said, the second well, that is Wildcat will produce 4,000 barrels oil daily while its daily gas production may be around 20 MMSCF.

He said that after the commencement of the Wildcat the total daily production of the two wells may go up to 7,000 barrels, while their gas production will be around 30 MMSCF.

He went on to add that further study was going on in the area and after the completion of the second well drilling at the distance of one kilometre would initiated forthwith.

The official quoted the in-charge of the project and said that the well will start functioning till Eid.

The well-head wise data of the Nashpa structure shows that during the year 2008 the Chanda well (Shakardara in Kohat) produced 1,464,000 billion barrels (BBLS) oil, while its gas production remained 5,856 MMSCF, Manzali well (Karak) produced 180,072 BBLS oil and its gas production was 18,000 MMSCF and Makori well (Karak)’s oil production during the year stood at 599,874 BBLS, while its gas production was 7,096 MMSCF. The entire yearly oil and gas production of the structure remained 2,243,948 BBLS and 30,952 MMSCF respectively.

The latest discovery on one hand pleased the government circles as it will increase oil and gas production in the province, but it saddened the locals on the other as they said they were not being afforded their constitutional rights and facilities in return for the oil and gas being extracted from the area.

Hajat Shah, social worker, councilor Isam Gul, Malik Fazal Rahim, Subedar Major (Retd) Nadir Khan, Malik Aziz Khan, Farid Khan and other residents of Speena Banda, Alwargi, Shaheedan and Nashpa Banda, the catchment areas of the well, while talking to The News, raised a number and objections and grievances with regard to the project and said that from the very beginning they were denied their rights.

The said their land was acquisitioned for the project on lesser lease prices than other wells in the project. Similarly, their requirements were squarely ignored by the official they at the concernment of the project. They, however, added that talks for the lease of land on appropriate price readjustment were still underway.

Hajat Shah also referred to the Article 158 that reads “Priority of requirements of natural gas the province in which a wellhead of natural gas is situated shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirements from the wellhead, subject to the commitments and obligation as on the commencing day.|”

The locals said as per the obligations and commitments reached before the commencement of the well the authorities will have to provide gas to the localities falling in the five kilometre radius of the well free but so far they did not get any intimation in this regard.

About other facilities as pledged by the project authorities they said no hospital was built in the areas to treat those affected by the radiation from the well and no school and drinking water facility has been provided to them.

They also sought relevant technical training, skill optimising and employment opportunities enabling them to run the project in the future.

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