Oil and Gas dicovered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

[niaz]

Sir I Would Be Grateful If You Can Also Clarify Regarding Point 4 and 5.Can You Tell Me The The Geological and Tectonic Evidence Needed To Conclude A Certain Area Might Have Vast Reserves Of Minerals and Hydrocarbons.

Traditionally oil & gas are commonly found in sedimentary basins, where organic matter is converted into hydrocarbons under high pressure and temperature over millions of years. This is why petroleum is called fossil fuel.

Another theory called ‘Abiogenic’ stipulates that inorganic carbon can combine with hydrogen under high pressure and temperature to form methane which in turn can form other hydrocarbons present in the petroleum crude. This is because oil has been found to depth of 30,000 feet whereas deepest fossils ever found were up to a depth of 16,000 feet only.

Here I would like to clarify that both oil Shale and Tar Sands are a type/form of sedimentary rock from where oil can be extracted. However the process can be damaging to the environment and is not cost effective. Nevertheless with crude prices in excess of $100 per barrel and if no other large oil bearing structures are found, both the resources become viable.

Oil is normally formed deep underground and rises to the surface until it reaches certain kind of porous rock where it gets trapped similar to water in a sponge. Oil will stay stored in this reservoir until a hole is drilled to extract it.

Drilling holes deep into the ground or beneath the surface the sea is very expensive business. Therefore before a hole is drilled a detailed seismic survey is normally carried to determine the type of rocks and to estimate probability of finding oil bearing structures beneath surface. The composition of oil in reservoirs is as the result of the processes occurring during petroleum generation, migration, trapping and subsequent alteration.

As Hon Samlee has correctly mentioned, ideal place to find oil deposits is along the tectonic plates but mere presence of tectonic boundary does not guarantee oil bearing structures. There has to be phyiscal presence of hydrocarbons before the same can be found.

It is also possible that oil may have formed at a place but migrated to another place due to seismic / tectonic activity over the millions of years. UAE is a prime example. There is plenty of oil in Abu Dhabi; Dubai has a small quantity, but hardly any oil and very little gas in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah or in Fujairah.

There are probably oil bearing structures along the Makran coast (as evidenced from seepage) as well as off Karachi coast, but if the oil bearing pocket is small, the drill hole could easily miss it and one may never find it. Despite all the advances in Geology and Geo Chemistry, nine out of ten holes end up dry.

Re drilling off Makran coast – To the best of my knowledge law & order situation was not the cause of ceasing drilling activity. I am aware that the last well (Jal Pari -1A) was abandoned in 1976 when uncontrollable formation pressure was encountered before reaching the target depth.

My conclusions remain:

1. With existing proven reserves of about 32 TCF; there is definitely gas in Pakistan. IMO there is little doubt that with persistence we may be able to double this figure. However for this we need peaceful conditions and which does not seem likely in the short term in Baluchistan. Our hope therefore rests on discovering more fields in KP, Sindh and Punjab.

2. There is a fair chance that we can find more reserves of liquid hydrocarbons in the KP and North Punjab as well as in the lower Sind. However likelihood is that the fields will be small. But with persistence (say drilling about 20 exploratory well each year for next 10 years); accumulating modest reserves of say 5-billion barrels is a strong possibility. This should be sufficient for meeting about 50% needs for the next 50 years.

However, it appears unlikely that we would it strike rich and start producing 1-million barrels per day of crude in the foreseeable future. Not having sufficient knowledge about Shale oil & Frac gas, I wouldn’t like to comment its prospects.

I also wish to clarify that I am a Chemical Engineer; most of my knowledge about production is gained thru attending seminars and reading the articles in the Oil & Gas Journal during my long association with the oil industry. I would therefore request Geochemist or Geologist forum member's indulgence if they find an erroneous comment in the above.

 

[Donatello]

Traditionally oil & gas are commonly found in sedimentary basins, where organic matter is converted into hydrocarbons under high pressure and temperature over millions of years. This is why petroleum is called fossil fuel.

Another theory called ‘Abiogenic’ stipulates that inorganic carbon can combine with hydrogen under high pressure and temperature to form methane which in turn can form other hydrocarbons present in the petroleum crude. This is because oil has been found to depth of 30,000 feet whereas deepest fossils ever found were up to a depth of 16,000 feet only.

Here I would like to clarify that both oil Shale and Tar Sands are a type/form of sedimentary rock from where oil can be extracted. However the process can be damaging to the environment and is not cost effective. Nevertheless with crude prices in excess of $100 per barrel and if no other large oil bearing structures are found, both the resources become viable.

Oil is normally formed deep underground and rises to the surface until it reaches certain kind of porous rock where it gets trapped similar to water in a sponge. Oil will stay stored in this reservoir until a hole is drilled to extract it.

Drilling holes deep into the ground or beneath the surface the sea is very expensive business. Therefore before a hole is drilled a detailed seismic survey is normally carried to determine the type of rocks and to estimate probability of finding oil bearing structures beneath surface. The composition of oil in reservoirs is as the result of the processes occurring during petroleum generation, migration, trapping and subsequent alteration.

As Hon Samlee has correctly mentioned, ideal place to find oil deposits is along the tectonic plates but mere presence of tectonic boundary does not guarantee oil bearing structures. There has to be phyiscal presence of hydrocarbons before the same can be found.

It is also possible that oil may have formed at a place but migrated to another place due to seismic / tectonic activity over the millions of years. UAE is a prime example. There is plenty of oil in Abu Dhabi; Dubai has a small quantity, but hardly any oil and very little gas in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah or in Fujairah.

There are probably oil bearing structures along the Makran coast (as evidenced from seepage) as well as off Karachi coast, but if the oil bearing pocket is small, the drill hole could easily miss it and one may never find it. Despite all the advances in Geology and Geo Chemistry, nine out of ten holes end up dry.

Re drilling off Makran coast – To the best of my knowledge law & order situation was not the cause of ceasing drilling activity. I am aware that the last well (Jal Pari -1A) was abandoned in 1976 when uncontrollable formation pressure was encountered before reaching the target depth.

My conclusions remain:

1. With existing proven reserves of about 32 TCF; there is definitely gas in Pakistan. IMO there is little doubt that with persistence we may be able to double this figure. However for this we need peaceful conditions and which does not seem likely in the short term in Baluchistan. Our hope therefore rests on discovering more fields in KP, Sindh and Punjab.

2. There is a fair chance that we can find more reserves of liquid hydrocarbons in the KP and North Punjab as well as in the lower Sind. However likelihood is that the fields will be small. But with persistence (say drilling about 20 exploratory well each year for next 10 years); accumulating modest reserves of say 5-billion barrels is a strong possibility. This should be sufficient for meeting about 50% needs for the next 50 years.

However, it appears unlikely that we would it strike rich and start producing 1-million barrels per day of crude in the foreseeable future. Not having sufficient knowledge about Shale oil & Frac gas, I wouldn’t like to comment its prospects.

I also wish to clarify that I am a Chemical Engineer; most of my knowledge about production is gained thru attending seminars and reading the articles in the Oil & Gas Journal during my long association with the oil industry. I would therefore request Geochemist or Geologist forum member's indulgence if they find an erroneous comment in the above.

Niaz sahab,

Thanks for your post. My Taya Abu works in Oil and Gas industry of Pakistan as well and he tells us the same as you quoted here.
However, i once heard something like US Geological Survey came to Pakistan in 60s and 70s and they stated that our gas from Sui is Propane/Butane type and that instead of burning to cook meals in our homes, we should generate electricity from it, Propane/Butane having more energy content than Methane/Ethane.

Is this story true?

 

[niaz]

Niaz sahab,

Thanks for your post. My Taya Abu works in Oil and Gas industry of Pakistan as well and he tells us the same as you quoted here.
However, i once heard something like US Geological Survey came to Pakistan in 60s and 70s and they stated that our gas from Sui is Propane/Butane type and that instead of burning to cook meals in our homes, we should generate electricity from it, Propane/Butane having more energy content than Methane/Ethane.

Is this story true?

This statement appears to be incorrect. Propane & Butane are primary components of LPG not of natural gas. I am not conversant with composition of all the gas fields in Pakistan but since I used to work for Esso Eastern which discovered Mari gas fields, I have full info about its composition. It was always compared with the Sui gas and considered less suitable for burning/power production having a lower BTU value.

To the best of my knowledge Sui gas consists of 90% Methane (CH4) with the heat content of about 920 BTU per cft versus about 720 BTU /cft for Mari gas. Last info I have about Mari gas is:

Methane 70.6
Ethane 0.3
Carbon Dioxide 9.0
Nitrogen 20.1

Because of high Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen, Mari gas better suited for fertilizer production.