The government has released Rs296.10 million to advance nine ongoing petroleum-related projects during the first five months of the current fiscal year under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP 2022-23) against a total allocation of Rs1.48 billion, reports WealthPK. Out of the total disbursement of Rs296.10 million, around Rs19.40 million has been spent on the petroleum projects to accelerate oil and gas exploration activities during the five-month period (July-November 2022), according to official data available with WealthPK.

The government had earmarked  Rs150.560 million for establishment of the National Mineral Data Centre (NMDC) Directorate General of Minerals, Rs303.700 million for expansion and upgradation of Pakistan Petroleum Corehouse (PETCORE) for sustainable operations to facilitate oil and gas exploration research in Pakistan (HDIP), Rs100 million for Geological Mapping on 50 Toposheets, out of 354 unmapped Toposheets of Outcrop Area of Balochistan, Rs70 million for Legal Consultancy Services for drafting of Model Mineral Agreement and updating of Regulatory Framework (Federal and Provincial Minerals/Coal Departments) and Rs200 million for Pakistan National Research Programme on Geological Hazards (Earthquakes and Landslides) - Data Acquisition along Active Faults and Identification of Potential Landslides Hotspot Zones.

Similarly, the government specified Rs224.809 million for strengthening and upgradation of Karachi Laboratories Complex (KLC) at the HDIP Operations Office, Karachi, Rs100 million to supply 10MMCFD gas/RLNG on the doorstep (zero point) of Bostan Special Economic Zone, Balochistan (SSGCL), Rs74.705 million to supply 13MMCFD gas/RLNG on the doorstep (zero point) of Bin Qasim Industrial Park Special Economic Zone, Sindh (SSGCL) and Rs256.735 million to supply 40 MMCFD gas/RLNG on the doorstep (zero point) of Allama Iqbal Industrial City Special Economic Zone, Faisalabad (SNGPL).

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk