New gas discovery in Kohat

KOHAT: A new gas discovery was made after 4,800-metre deep drilling in Kohat, official sources said on Monday.

“The new gas discovery was made last week,” sources wishing not to be named, told Daily Times, adding that the discovery is likely to ease the country’s energy needs.

According to the sources, the discovery was made 18 kilometres inside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from its border with Punjab. “The well is situated in the Gumbhat area near the Khushalgarh Bridge,” the sources added.

The Hungary-based exploration company MOL has discovered the gas and hopes the discovery will provide the country with another huge energy reservoir to meet the growing energy needs.

Huge gas and oil discoveries were made in Kohat, Hangu and Karak districts and experts believe future exploration would also yield “good results” as a study shows such discoveries could be made in Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Zhob district in the Balochistan province.

An American exploration company, the sources revealed, had made such an attempt in 1993 at the same place but failed to make the discovery. “The target for discovering gas was 3,400-metre deep drilling,” they said.

“However, the engineers continued the drilling when no discovery was likely at the 3,400-metre deep drilling. It was the most difficult exploration as the area lies close to a fault line.”

The country is getting gas and crude oil from the Tall Block and hopes are that the region is full of natural resources to meet the increased demand for energy.

“How big the reservoir at this well is will be measured soon. We hope it will serve the country’s needs for decades before we make more gas and oil discoveries,” MOL officials said.