Pakistan’s state-run Oil and Gas Development Company Limited has announced a breakthrough hydrocarbon discovery in Sindh’s Sanghar district, a find that could ease pressure on the country’s strained energy supplies and shrinking foreign reserves.
The exploratory well, known as Bobi Deep-1, is now producing 2,000 barrels of oil per day alongside 1.1 million standard cubic feet of gas daily, following successful testing of the Lower Goru Formation’s Massive Sand interval. The company confirmed the results through a cased-hole Drill Stem Test conducted recently.
What makes this discovery particularly significant is that it represents the first-ever hydrocarbon extraction from the Massive Sand play within the Bobi and Dhamraki Mining Lease. OGDC officials say the success has effectively unlocked a new exploration corridor in the region, reducing risk for similar prospects nearby and paving the way for future resource expansion.
The path to this discovery was far from straightforward. Drilling operations had previously been suspended due to what the company described as complex subsurface obstacles. Rather than writing off the site, OGDC assembled a multidisciplinary team of geoscientists and engineers who partnered with the Centre for Pure and Applied Geology at the University of Sindh in Jamshoro.
Together, they conducted advanced geophysical surveys, subsurface studies, and field evaluations to build a detailed geological model. This collaborative effort allowed the company to address the technical challenges, implement multiple engineering safeguards, and safely resume drilling until the target depth was reached.
OGDC has framed the Bobi Deep-1 success as a showcase of homegrown innovation and the value of academia-industry partnerships. The company believes the discovery will contribute to boosting domestic oil and gas output, strengthening energy security, and reducing Pakistan’s dependence on costly energy imports.
This latest find is part of a string of positive announcements from OGDC in recent months. In April, the company reported what it called Pakistan’s largest-ever oil and gas discovery from a single well at Baragzai X-01 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kohat district. That well alone now accounts for roughly 10 percent of the country’s total crude oil production, with estimated daily revenues of 156 million rupees and potential annual foreign exchange savings of around 329 million dollars.
Earlier in February, OGDC also announced gas and condensate discoveries at the Dars West-3 well in Tando Allah Yar district, followed by another oil and gas find at a second Baragzai well in Kohat.
For a country grappling with chronic energy shortages, mounting import bills, and frequent power disruptions, each new domestic discovery offers a glimmer of hope. While the cumulative impact of these finds on Pakistan’s overall energy mix remains to be seen, they represent tangible progress in a sector that has long struggled to meet national demand.
