On Friday, 13th October, on the device Drillmec 2000 HP RIG # 305, was held an official visit of Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief Minister of Punjab Mr. Shahbaz Sharif, associated with the discovery by Pakistan Oilfields Limited one of the largest deposits of oil and gas occurring in Pakistan in the past 5 years.
During the visit, Prime Minister Abbasi and Minister Sharif officially inaugurated exploitation of the deposit at Jhandial 1 well. According to Prime Minister Abbasi, the planned oil and gas project will benefit not only in this region but also in the whole country. In addition, it is expected that this discovery will contribute to the sustainable development of the country's energy.
Drilling works were carried out by EXALO Drilling S.A. commissioned by Pakistan Oilfields Limited. Jhandial 1 well, located in the Ikhlas block in northern Potohar, about 83 km southwest of Islamabad in the Attock district, reached a depth of 18,497 feet, being the largest ever made by the EXALO borehole in Pakistan. According to preliminary estimates, the recoverable reserves stand at 292 billion standard cubic feet of gas and 23 million barrels of oil.