DERA GHAZI KHAN City News

Huge reserves of oil, gas discovered in Taunsa

From Hasnain Qaisrani

DERA GHAZI KHAN

Following the months-long survey, huge reserves of oil and gas have been discovered in Taunsa Shareef Tehsil of Dera Ghazi Khan that will add to the already available reserves of Dhodak and Rhodo gas fields.

Reliable sources said that this time the sites identified in the surveys were located in the plain areas as well as close to the riverine belt that would fulfil the shortfall of the natural gas.

A number of teams of the state-owned Oil and Gas Development Company limited,(OGDCL),have been working for the couple of months with their site camps along the Indus Highway at various locations. The teams comprising geologists, surveyors, engineers and field staff have been working with the modern equipment, and their findings disclosed that the area was enriched in oil and gas reserves. It is also part of the findings that the Western belt along the mighty River Indus possesses the solid potential and the reserves of oil and gas that could open the new vista to bridge the existing shortfall besides the revenue in this sector.

Although the officials of OGDCL are yet not sure about the volume of the reserves available at various confirmed locations but said that it would serve the vast area as the government planed to install a plant to utilise and refine the available products.

In Dhodak and Rhodo,Tuman Qaisrani tribal area of Taunsa Shareef Tehsil, huge reserves of oil and gas were discovered some 43 years back in 1973 while the refinery was installed in 1995.

There are also certain reports that a number of wells at Dhodak are yet capped and could not even be utilised apart from another pocket at Chitar Watta tribal area where British Petroleum had discovered the heavy reserves, but that too yet could not be channelised even after passing around 40 years.

It is also on record that once the Dhodak field was classified as the second largest reservoir of OGDCL in the country.

The local community has asked the federal government that immediate steps should be taken for the utilisation of such heavy reserves that would not only promote the state company but also open new vista of the jobs and the business opportunites in the backward area.