Addressing at a news conference at the press club here on Monday, Owais Shakeel, from Engineering Department of the KPOGCL said the allegations of former General Manager Exploration Nazirul Haq against senior management of the company and regarding viability of the Nowshera Block, were completely unfounded and untruthful. Flanked by the company officers, Shahan Bacha, Geologists Naeemullah, Kashif, and Ziaullah Khan, he said it was completely wrong that Metamorphic and Sedimentary rocks unavailable in the Nowshera Block, which had also predicted about the Tall block. But, he added that now Tall Block was producing 25 percent crude oil on daily basis of the total oil production of the country.
The official said the company had bounded to send co-ordinates to Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, prior to marking of any new site for the exploration, which also aimed at applying for reconnaissance permit to conduct a detail study of the identified area.
Owais Shakeel further explained that it was perquisite to determine about potentiality of the area, after proper carrying out of a survey report, which would help to further proceed on the exploration site. He went on to say that the process would take one and half year.
Therefore, he said KPOGCL had also applied for provision of reconnaissance permit to conduct a detailed study on the Nowshera Block. He said Nowshera Block was based on Peshawar and Nizampur, wherein KPOGCL along with American Hycarbex, Marri Petroleum and Saif Energy was also acquiring block in the same region, so it's meant that those companies were also incompetent, he questioned.
The official has rejected the claims of Nazirul Haq that KPOGCL had sought Rs 42 million dollars from the provincial government for the Nowshera Block. He clarified that the company had neither seeking the stated amount, nor authorities approved it. But, he said it was only estimated.
He maintained that if any potential of natural resources were discovered from the Nowshera Block, then the amount would be spent on exploration phase on the block, which was necessitated to spend before launching any project. He said the company would carryout exploration activities in collaboration with local and foreign companies.
Despite remaining as General Manager Explorations, he said Nazirul Haq was uninformed about acquiring of data from DGPC worth of Rs 5.5 million, which was being spent on Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and Karak blocks, instead of the Nowshera block.
He praised the efforts of Chief Executive Officer of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company Limited, who had acclaimed at local and international level, and having working experience with OGDCL, Attock Oil refinery and other multi-national oil and gas explorations companies. Citing about three years' performance and achievements of KPOGCL, he said the oil production had increased from 30,000 to 50,000 barrels per day in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, besides, the company has pursued to activate all 21 blocks in the province. He further said the seismic and drilling activities were being carried out in various blocks.