Report by Engineering Post
Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has launched commercial production from the Baragzai X -01 well delivering the country ‘s largest-ever oil and gas output from a single well and thereby has quite significantly boosted domestic energy supplies.
Located in the Nashpa Block in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Baragzai X-01 exploratory well has marked a historic milestone in Pakistan’s upstream sector and emerged as the highest production well both in OGDCL’s portfolio as well as in the country’s history.
The well was currently producing 4300 barrels of oil per day, 17 million standard cubic feet per day of gas (MMSCFD)and 15 metric tons per day of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Cumulatively, production has reached 15000 barrels per day (BPD) of oil and 45 MMSCFD) of gas, and the production was most likely to increase to 25000 BPD and 60 MMSCFD in the near future.
The discovery was particularly significant as hydrocarbons were found across five formations, highlighting the well’s strong reservoir potential and long term production prospects.
Despite being located in one of the country’s most challenging terrains,
OGDCL has quite successfully developed the project using advanced technologies. In a notable operational feat, the OGDCL had laid an 8-kilometers pipeline in a record time, alongside upgrading gas processing and crude storage facilities, and integration with the Mela and Nashpa production system, the OGDCL sources pointedly stated.
Baragzai X-01 was now contributing approximately 10 percent of Pakistan’s total crude oil production, underscoring its strategic importance in reducing the country’s reliance on imported fuels.
Furthermore, the project was also most likely expected to deliver substantial economic gains, with an estimated daily revenue of Rs 156 million, translating into Rs 4.7 billion monthly and around Rs 57 billion annually. Additionally, it was also projected to save approximately $ 329 million annually in foreign exchange by way of substituting imports.
The Baragzai X-01 development was also being viewed as a major step towards unlocking Pakistan’s hydrocarbon potential.
