QUETTA, April 28: The government has prepared a comprehensive plan to tap the huge oil and gas potential in Balochistan and it will invest over $103 million in this sector over the next three years, officials said.

Officials of the Mari Gas Company told Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf during a briefing about its oil and gas exploration activities and various development projects here on Wednesday.

The managing-director of the company Lt-Gen (retd) Mohammad Afzal Cheema, Chief Secretary Ashraf Nasar, provincial secretaries of mineral, industry and home departments, and other senior officials also attended the meeting.

The chief minister was informed that the company, along with the Pakistan Petroleum Limited, were also working with the Oil and Gas Development Corporation were investing huge amounts of money in oil and gas exploration projects in Balochistan.

He was informed that chances of finding new oil and gas reserves in different areas were very high and a comprehensive plan had already been made in this connection, adding that different areas had been divided into blocks, including Ziarat, Southern Zarghoon, Dhadar, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Sarona and coastal areas of Makran.

A topographical survey had been completed in these areas, the chief minister was informed. Companies operating in these areas were using latest technology and were also being guided by the local people in this regard.

A gas exploration project would be launched in the Shahrig area of the Sibi district with the cooperation of China while work on other such projects would begin soon, the chief minister was informed.

Officials told the chief minister that work on the laying of gas pipeline, supplying natural gas to Quetta from the Zarghoon Gas Field had already begun. Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf, who showed keen interest in the oil and gas exploration projects, focussed on the positive impact of the development of mineral resources, saying it would greatly help improve the overall economic condition of the country, especillay Balochistan.

Expressing the need for identifying new gas reserves in the province, he said Balochistan's old gas reserves were being depleted. He said that the provincial government would welcome investment in the sector as the development in this sector would greatly benefit the people of Balochistan.

Jam Yousuf said that so far as the government was concerned, it was providing maximum facilities and protection to the companies working in different areas of the province. He also underlined the need for initiating projects to tap the potential for oil and gas in offshore and coastal areas of the province.