Baragzai X-01 well in Kohat is now producing more oil & gas from a single borehole than any well in Pakistan’s history.
Key Takeaways:
- Baragzai X-01 is Pakistan’s highest-ever single-well producer, contributing roughly 10% of the country’s total crude oil output.
- The well is projected to save approximately $329 million annually in foreign exchange by substituting imported fuel with domestic supply.
- Production is expected to scale up to 25,000 barrels of oil per day and 60 MMSCFD of gas in the near future, from five separate geological formations.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s state-owned oil and gas giant has launched commercial production from what is now the most prolific single well in the country’s upstream history, delivering a significant boost to domestic energy supplies at a time when the government is urgently pushing to reduce its costly dependence on imported fuel.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik formally inaugurated production from the Baragzai X-01 (Slant) well at a ceremony at the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) headquarters in Islamabad, calling the achievement a “monumental” step forward for Pakistan’s energy security.
A single well in Kohat’s rugged hills is now producing 10 percent of Pakistan’s entire domestic crude oil output. That is not exploration news. That is an energy event.
Record Numbers from a Single Borehole
The figures are striking by any measure. As Express Tribune reported when the discovery was first announced, OGDCL drilled the Baragzai X-1 exploratory well to a total depth of 5,170 metres, where a 187-metre hydrocarbon-bearing zone was identified in the Datta Formation. Since then, the well has been tested across multiple geological layers and production volumes have grown substantially with each successive injection.
Following the latest injection on Wednesday, the well is currently delivering 5,300 barrels of oil per day (BPD), 17 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas, and 15 metric tons per day of LPG. Cumulatively, production has reached 15,000 BPD of oil and 45 MMSCFD of gas, with projections to increase to 25,000 BPD and 60 MMSCFD in the near future. Hydrocarbons were found across five separate geological formations, underlining the well’s exceptional reservoir potential and long-term production outlook.
Baragzai X-01 is now the highest-producing well in OGDC’s portfolio as well as in Pakistan’s history, contributing approximately 10 percent of Pakistan’s total crude oil production.
Engineering in Difficult Terrain
The achievement is also a significant operational one. The Nashpa Block in Kohat district sits in some of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s most challenging terrain. OGDC deployed advanced technologies to ensure safe and efficient development, and in a notable feat, laid an 8-kilometre pipeline in record time, alongside critical modifications for gas processing and crude oil storage, and integration with Mela and Nashpa facilities.
The Economic Case
The project’s economic impact is equally significant. Daily revenues are estimated at Rs156 million, translating into Rs4.7 billion per month and approximately Rs57 billion annually. Perhaps more importantly for a country still under pressure to stabilise its external accounts, the well is projected to save approximately $329 million annually in foreign exchange by replacing imported crude with domestic supply.
As Dawn reported during an earlier discovery phase at the same well, within a single month, the Baragzai discoveries had already added an estimated 9,480 barrels of oil per day, representing around 14.5 percent of Pakistan’s domestic crude oil production, which stood at approximately 66,000 barrels per day at the time. Wednesday’s milestone takes that contribution even further.
At $329 million in projected annual foreign exchange savings, Baragzai X-01 may do more for Pakistan’s external accounts than many a policy measure.
Broader Significance
OGDCL Managing Director and CEO Ahmed Hayat Lak praised the technical teams and field staff for achieving the record under difficult conditions, and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to accelerating exploration and expanding production capacity.
The Baragzai X-01 achievement marks a major step forward in unlocking Pakistan’s hydrocarbon potential, reinforcing OGDC’s leadership in the upstream sector and supporting national efforts to achieve energy security, reduce the import bill, and strengthen the country’s economic resilience.
For a country that has long imported the bulk of its oil needs at significant foreign exchange cost, a domestic well of this scale arriving at this moment carries weight well beyond its production numbers.
