Türkiye, Pakistan sign pact on offshore oil and gas exploration
KARACHI
Türkiye and Pakistan have signed an agreement to jointly pursue bids for offshore oil and gas exploration in 40 blocks in the South Asian country.
The joint bidding agreement was signed on the margins of the 2025 Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in the capital Islamabad, according to a statement from Pakistan’s Petroleum Ministry.
Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Pakistani Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik witnessed the signing ceremony.
"This step will deepen the strategic energy partnership between Türkiye and Pakistan and will also be an important threshold in terms of regional energy security,” Bayraktar said.
Türkiye’s Oruç Reis Seismic Research Ship is presently continuing its activities in the Somali seas.
In February, the government of Pakistan announced a bidding round offering 40 offshore blocks in the Makran and Indus basins for the granting of exploration licenses, the statement from the Petroleum Ministry added.
“This bid round is a significant opportunity for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country's upstream energy sector,” the statement said.
Pakistan’s Mari Energies Limited, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited and Pakistan Petroleum Limited signed the agreement with Turkish state-owned enterprise Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) to jointly participate in the offshore bidding round.
“We believe that this strategic collaboration will bring much-needed FDI to Pakistan and pave the way for the sharing and deployment of international technologies, expertise and skillsets to explore and exploit the untapped potential of Pakistan's offshore region,” the statement said.
Expressing high hopes for Pakistan-Türkiye cooperation, Malik said that Islamabad is committed to providing “full support” and “strongly encourages” such collaborative efforts to explore its offshore reserves.
Bayraktar also participated in the Pakistan Mining Investment Forum within the scope of his engagements in Islamabad.
Bayraktar, who delivered a speech at the ministerial session, stated that Türkiye has a rich mineral diversity and mentioned that they have developed comprehensive strategies focusing on the entire value chain in mining.
After the forum, Minister Bayraktar, Pakistan's Minister of Oil Ali Pervaiz Malik and the Minister of Energy in Charge of Electricity Sardar Awaiz Ahmad Khan Leghari held separate meetings.
Bayraktar was received by Pakistani Prime Minister Şahbaz Şerif within the scope of the Islamabad program. In the meeting, the energy relations between Türkiye and Pakistan were discussed.
Bayraktar also met with Pakistan Land Forces Commander Asım Münir.
