ISLAMABAD, Nov 1, 2025: Pakistan’s offshore oil and gas sector has received renewed interest after nearly two decades, with the government announcing on Friday that it received 23 bids for exploration rights in 40 offshore blocks. Most of the bids came from state-run energy firms, according to an official statement from the Petroleum Division.
The bids, covering an area of about 53,510 square kilometres, were submitted by leading national companies including Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Mari Energies Limited (MEL), and Prime Energy Limited (PML). The round also saw participation from international and private-sector partners such as Turkish Petroleum (TPAO), United Energy, Orient Petroleum, and Fatima Petroleum, signaling growing foreign interest in Pakistan’s offshore resources.
The Petroleum Division described the outcome as an “encouraging sign” of investor confidence in the country’s upstream energy sector and aligned with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s agenda for energy self-sufficiency. It said the bids were opened transparently on October 31 in the presence of representatives from Sindh and Balochistan, the provinces bordering the offshore zones.
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This marks Pakistan’s first offshore bidding round in 18 years. The Offshore Bid Round 2025 was launched in January to offer exploration licenses under a new Model Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) and updated Offshore Petroleum Rules aimed at enhancing transparency and investor protection.
According to the Petroleum Division, the companies committed to carrying out 4,427 work units during the initial three-year license period, representing an investment of about $80 million. If exploratory drilling proceeds, total investment could reach between $750 million and $1 billion.
Under the first phase, firms will conduct geological and geophysical studies—including seismic data acquisition and interpretation—to assess hydrocarbon potential in the Indus and Makran basins. Following this stage, exploratory drilling will begin in the most promising areas.
The Petroleum Division termed the bid results as “encouraging, reflecting strong investor confidence in Pakistan’s upstream sector”.https://t.co/xycUX5KPv0
— Dawn Business (@dawn_business) November 1, 2025
A notable development in the latest round was the participation of Türkiye’s national company, TPAO, which secured a 25 percent stake and operatorship in offshore Block-C.
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