Pakistan expects Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO)’s seismic survey vessels to arrive in September or October as the Turkish state-owned company advances preparations for exploration activities under recently signed hydrocarbon agreements, Petroleum Minister Pervaiz Malik said on July 4.
Speaking at the Türkiye-Pakistan Business Forum held in Istanbul, Malik said Pakistan continues to import significant volumes of LNG each year to meet its energy needs, while the country’s proven oil reserves stand at around 240 million barrels and daily oil production remains limited to about 65,000 barrels.
Highlighting Pakistan’s largely untapped geological potential, Malik recalled that three of the 23 blocks awarded during the country’s first offshore licensing round in nearly 20 years in 2025 were secured by TPAO. He also noted that TPAO obtained two onshore exploration licenses during a separate bidding round held the same year.
Sharing an update on TPAO’s activities in the country, Malik said the company is continuing efforts to establish an office in Islamabad and that all visa facilitation has been completed.
“We expect TPAO’s seismic vessels to arrive on the shores of Pakistan in September or October. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and I will personally go and receive those vessels on Pakistan’s shores. We decided that yesterday, and we look forward to building this relationship further and eventually bringing in drilling vessels, six months after the completion of the seismic studies,” Malik said.
