KPK’s Miran Block to Boost Region’s Economy with Rs22 Billion Investment

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company Limited (KPOGCL) has successfully completed the bidding process for the exploration and production rights of the Miran Block, which spans across the North Waziristan and Kurram districts.

This was announced during a meeting led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, as stated in an official release on Wednesday.

KPOGCL has sold a 49% stake in the Miran Block while retaining 51% ownership. The winning bid was placed by a consortium consisting of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), and Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL).

The Chief Minister praised this development, emphasizing that it will significantly contribute to the region’s economic growth. The project is set to bring an investment of Rs22 billion into the province, with the entire cost of the exploration phase being covered by the winning consortium.

Special Assistant to the CM for Energy, Tariq Sadozai, along with Secretary Energy Nisar Khan, KPOGCL’s CEO, and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

Mr. Gandapur commended KPOGCL’s management for its successful completion of the bidding process, noting that this achievement would have a substantial positive impact on the region’s development.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plays a key role in Pakistan’s oil and gas production. The province contributes 30,000 barrels of oil per day, making up 42% of the nation’s total output. Additionally, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces 410 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas, accounting for 13% of national production. The province also produces 800 tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) daily, representing 40% of the country’s total.

The meeting also provided an update on KPOGCL’s investments in various other oil and gas blocks, noting that recent high-impact discoveries have increased the province’s daily gas production by 180 mmcfd and oil production by 5,550 barrels. From 2013 to 2024, the company has invested Rs4 billion in these initiatives.

For the exploration of new blocks, Rs3 billion has been allocated in the current fiscal year’s budget.

In addition, the Chief Minister instructed the relevant authorities to speed up work on ongoing hydropower projects in the province and to conduct surveys for the construction of small hydropower plants in merged districts. He also called for the early implementation of a project to solarize mosques and households across the province.

In a separate meeting, Mr. Gandapur urged authorities to expedite the process of computerizing land records. He also emphasized the need for the timely completion and operationalization of service delivery centers (SDCs). The meeting was informed that, out of 3,562 mauzas included in the first two phases of the land record project, 3,296 mauzas have already been computerized.

Districts like Abbottabad, Mardan, Buner, Kohat, Tank, Shangla, and Hangu have achieved 100% computerization. In Peshawar, the process is 98% complete. Overall, 83% of the land record computerization in the province has been completed, while land settlement is currently underway in the merged districts of Upper and Lower Dir.