Pakistan has struck a major energy jackpot in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Amid efforts to cut costly imports, the country\u2019s state media on Friday reported a modest discovery of new oil and gas reserves at the Lumshiwal Formation of Baragzai X-01 exploratory well.<\/p>\n
Pakistan is currently facing an energy crisis due to a high demand and limited domestic output, leading to dependence on expensive fuel imports. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif even hiked the petrol price by Rs 5 and the high-speed diesel (HSD) price by Rs 7.32 per litre in a recent move. The country\u2019s petroleum, oil, and lubricants import bill declined to 4.39% to $9.046 billion between July 2025 and January 2026.<\/p>\n
Well yields 225 barrels of oil per day<\/p>\n
In such a situation, the new discovery has boosted hopes for economic gains and energy security. During a Cased Hole Drill Stem test in the Hangu and Lumshiwal formations, the exploratory well yielded 225 barrels of oil per day. Meanwhile, 1.01 million standard cubic feet of gas was also produced per day.<\/p>\n
The well was successfully tapped at 5,170 meters into the Kingriali Formation,\u201d APP reported, citing the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC).\u00a0\u201cBased on wireline log evaluations, three earlier cased hole drill stem tests were conducted in the Kingriali, Datta, and Samana Suk plus Shinawari formations, which also resulted in oil and gas discoveries. The latest test over Lumshiwal further confirms the commercial viability and hydrocarbon prospectivity of the block,\u201d the exploration firm said. <\/p>\n
New discovery boosts hopes for economic gains<\/p>\n
The new \u2018Black Gold\u2019 discovery was made under the Nashpa Exploration License. Pakistan had previously reported new oil and gas discoveries. Although modest, the combined potential of these energy resources could boost the country\u2019s domestic production amid a crunch.<\/p>\n
Previous modest findings<\/p>\n
In January, the discovery of an exploratory well producing 4,100 barrels of oil per day and 10.5 million standard cubic feet per day of gas was made in Kohat. Last year, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) reported a discovery in Attock district, while Mari Energies announced a gas find in Pakistan\u2019s North Waziristan.<\/p>\n