Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has successfully increased natural gas production at Shahdad X-1, a sweet gas well in the Gambat South Block, located in Sanghar district, Sindh.

The E&P, a key supplier of natural gas in the country, shared that the development comes following the successful execution of a water shut-off operation.

“We are pleased to disclose the successful execution of a water shut-off operation at Shahdad X-1 in the Gambat South Block,” PPL in its notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday.

PPL said that the intervention has substantially enhanced gas production, increasing the flow rate from 2.2 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) to 8.4 MMscfd, while significantly reducing water production from 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) to just 26 bpd.

“Shahdad X-1, a sweet gas well drilled in 2012 and operational since 2015, originally produced 26 MMscfd of gas. [However,] by 2024, the production had declined due to severe water production, as confirmed by a Production Logging Tool (PLT) survey in August 2024, which identified inter-layer crossflow requiring effective remediation,” PPL said.

To address this issue, the company collaborated with a coiled tubing service provider to develop a targeted solution.

“After evaluating cost, risk, and operational feasibility, an acid-soluble cement was selected for isolating the water-producing zones. Execution involved overcoming fluid losses during well-kill operations using Loss Circulation Material (LCM) and brine for stabilization. Cement placement was precisely achieved, followed by a 32-hour curing period, and validated through slackline confirmation,” it added.

PPL said the milestone represents the first water shut-off operation in the Gambat South Block and the debut use of acid-soluble cement technology in its portfolio.

“The success highlights the company’s technical expertise, operational excellence, and commitment to enhancing production from mature fields,” it concluded.

PPL is the operator of Gambat South Block with 65% working interest along with its joint venture partners Government Holdings Private Limited and Asia Resources Oil Limited with 25% and 10% working interest, respectively.

Earlier this month, PPL started gas production from the Takri-1 exploration well located in the Jamshoro district of Sindh.