KOHAT, Nov 8: The test of the most powerful zone in the Shakardarra oil and gas fields have been unnecessarily delayed because the officials of the education department are reluctant to shift the nearby girls primary school to some other location allegedly at the behest of vested interests of the area, Dawn has learnt.

Earlier, tests in the low pressure zones had been successfully conducted by the Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC). For the assessment of the reserves and to measure the gas pressure the test in the most powerful zone of the fields recommended by the scientists was essential for making final feasibility report of the project.

The OGDC had requested the education department to shift the nearby girls primary school to some other location, for which it was ready to bear all the expenses, but the later was delaying the shifting for unknown reasons.

The OGDC officials said the school must be shifted before the test was conducted to avoid any untoward incident and for the safety of the children. They said the delay in the project was causing heavy losses daily to the corporation.