Pakistan Petroleum Limited issued a detailed clarification on Thursday, responding to international media reports suggesting that the company was creating an “artificial island” off the Sindh coast. The state owned energy firm stressed that its work near Sujawal is focused on ensuring safe and stable drilling operations in a difficult marshland environment, not reclaiming land from the sea.
The clarification came a day after Bloomberg reported that PPL was building a man made island about 30 kilometres from the Sindh coastline to accelerate new oil and gas exploration. The report cited remarks from Arshad Palekar, PPL’s General Manager for Exploration and Core Business Development, implying that the company was preparing a physical offshore structure to serve as a launchpad.
PPL, however, said the interpretation was misleading and did not accurately capture the technical nature of the project. In a statement shared with Dawn, the company emphasized that the ongoing work is meant to create a stable foundation for drilling in a marshy, tide affected zone that has historically been inaccessible.
According to PPL, the project lies in the southern marsh regions of the Sirani Block, an area long considered too challenging for exploration due to its soft terrain and shifting tides. Despite these obstacles, the company has already completed extensive seismic surveys, including both 2D and 3D data collection, using specialized transition zone equipment suited for such environments.
To move the project forward, PPL is now constructing essential support infrastructure. This includes new loading and offloading jetties and an access road linking the jetty to the drilling site. Because of the weak subsoil and constant tidal movement, both the road and the well pad are being elevated by roughly nine feet to ensure operations can continue smoothly regardless of high or low tides.
The company added that the planned well is located around 30 kilometres from the mainland, with a natural 17 kilometre water channel that will be used to transport drilling equipment and materials via barges. This maritime route is expected to play a key role in keeping the supply chain running once drilling begins.
PPL expects initial drilling to start in March 2026, marking one of Pakistan’s first attempts to conduct full scale drilling in a marshland and transition zone environment. The company described the project as technically ambitious and unique in the country’s exploration history.
Pakistan’s broader search for new energy reserves has accelerated in recent months. Interest grew sharply after former United States President Donald Trump referred to Pakistan’s “massive oil reserves” in a social media post in July. Since then, the government has granted offshore exploration licenses to three local companies, including PPL, Mari Energies Limited and Prime International Oil and Gas Company.
The developments signal renewed momentum in Pakistan’s energy exploration landscape, even as companies work to manage expectations and clarify the realities behind complex technical projects.
