KARACHI: Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), one of the country’s leading energy companies, has received conditional approval from the Government of Balochistan for an exploration license to search for precious and base metals in the mineral-rich Chagai district.
In a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday, PPL announced that the provincial government had conditionally approved its application for Exploration License EL-331, covering the exploration of precious and base metal groups and associated minerals in Chagai.
PPL stated that the approval marks a major step in its diversification strategy beyond hydrocarbons, reinforcing its commitment to expand into Pakistan’s growing mineral sector and ensure long-term business sustainability. The company noted that the license will be formally granted after fulfilling all legal, regulatory, and procedural requirements.
The development follows PPL’s Joint Venture Agreement last year with Degan Exploration Works (DEW) for a mineral exploration license in the same region. The Chagai Metallogenic Belt — where the license area lies — is globally recognized for its world-class copper and gold deposits, including Reko Diq and Saindak.
As a state-owned enterprise, PPL operates key oil and gas fields such as the Sui Gas Field and holds both operating and non-operating interests across Pakistan’s onshore and offshore exploration blocks.
Earlier this month, PPL also announced a strategic partnership with Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company (TPOC), a subsidiary of Turkiye’s national oil company TPAO, under the farm-out process of the Eastern Offshore Indus C Block. The collaboration aims to enhance offshore exploration and strengthen Pakistan–Turkiye energy cooperation, underscoring PPL’s broader ambition to diversify and expand its resource base.
