Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL) is constructing an artificial island off the coast of Sindh to serve as a launchpad for expanded offshore oil and gas exploration, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. The state-owned energy company is reclaiming land about 30 kilometres from Sujawal, according to PPL’s General Manager Exploration and Core Business Development, Arshad Palekar, who spoke on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference in Islamabad.
Designed at a height of six feet, the platform aims to ensure uninterrupted, round-the-clock drilling operations by preventing high tides from disrupting work. Pakistan’s offshore exploration drive has gained renewed momentum following US President Donald Trump’s recent comments suggesting the country holds “massive oil reserves.”
In response, Islamabad has issued offshore exploration licences to PPL, Mari Energies Ltd, and Prime International Oil and Gas Company. Palekar noted that the project draws on successful artificial island drilling models used in Abu Dhabi. Construction is expected to finish by February, enabling operations to start immediately. The company plans to drill around 25 wells from the island.
Meanwhile, global energy trader Vitol announced that it, along with Cnergyico — Pakistan’s largest oil refiner — has delivered the country’s biggest single shipment of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) for ship bunkering. Produced in line with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) low-sulphur regulations, the fuel marks Cnergyico’s first large-scale compliant batch after importing US crude earlier this year.
The development will allow large vessels refuelling in Pakistan to undertake longer east-to-west voyages without additional stops, while strengthening the nation’s supply of environmentally compliant marine fuel.
