The continuous depleting trend of the country's oldest and largest natural gas reserves in Sui have been successfully reduced to just three percent per annum. Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), the operator of the Sui Gas Field (SGF), has been trying to reduce the declining trend in gas field's production to zero percent.
"PPL has taken various measures based on modern technology to minimise the depleting gas reserves to zero percent," Asim Murtaza, managing director and CEO of the country's second largest oil and gas exploration company said. "We have achieved this milestone and reduced the depleting trend to 3 percent", the CEO of the state-run firm said. The Sui gas reserves were depleting at an average rate of 5 percent per annum and there were reports that these gas reserves would exhaust in the next 10 years. PPL initiated various measures to reverse the declining trend in the productivity of the gas reserves, he said. The company, he said, had successfully managed to reduce the declining trend by 2 percent with the help of modern and sophisticated technology, he said.
"We are hoping to reduce the declining trend to zero percent so that the country could be provided gas for a longer period of time", he said. Despite diminishing reserves, the Sui gas field still remains the largest natural gas producing field in Pakistan, contributing substantially to the country's requirements with a daily production of around 550mmcf. The Sui Gas Field was discovered in 1952 and its commercial exploration began in 1955. The field accounts for 26 percent of Pakistan gas production. Remaining reserves are estimated to be at 2 trillion cubic feet.