ISLAMABAD, Sept 9
Amid Pakistan’s “massive gas and oil reserve” narrative, the country’s Navy has now claimed that it has found a rich reserve of gas deep beneath the sea. The discovery was made in a joint survey initiated under the vision of the Chief of Naval Staff, a senior former naval officer told local media, but did not clarify as to how the Pakistan Navy was involved in the oil and gas sector.
The revelation also came on Pakistan Navy Day. The former naval officer added that the detailed survey was conducted with Chinese assistance.
“The country’s waters are not only rich in minerals but also home to a treasure trove of marine resources that could change the economic outlook if tapped wisely,” Rear Admiral (retd) Fawad Amin Baig told Geo News, adding that the Pakistan Navy played a central role in exploring these resources.
He, however, did not detail the involvement of the Pakistan Navy in the reported survey. Baig added that whenever Pakistan “moves towards progress, hostile fifth-generation warfare tactics drive investors away”.
This isn’t the first time that Pakistani authorities claim to have unearthed a massive gas or oil reserve without offering solid evidence or details. Earlier this year, Pakistan’s state-owned exploration firm discovered a new reserve of oil and gas in Sindh province.
Pakistan has also been promoting the oil reserve claim in a bid to attract super powers into investing in it.
Earlier this year, Army Chief Asim Munir managed to convince US President Donald Trump to explore a joint effort to explore the oil reserve. Though the oil industry experts have characterised the recent Pakistan-US deal as a positive step for Pakistan’s untapped oil and gas sector, there are apprehensions regarding the oil reserve. Officials at the Pakistani state-owned oil and gas company claim Trump’s claim of oil reserves in Pakistan was “completely out of left field”.
“There is no mysterious, undiscovered oilfield that is going to put out 1 billion barrels,” an official told Financial Times.
