KARACHI, Aug 10: The multinational oil firm engaged in oil and gas exploration in the Khirthar National Park has suspended its work in the protected area temporarily, it is learnt.

Sources said that the firm, Premier Kuffpec Pakistan (PKP), had sunk two exploratory wells both of which turned out to be dry and now the company had sent the wells’ data overseas for tests and evaluation after which a future strategy would be formulated.

According to the sources, in the meantime the oil company has stopped its exploratory work, moved out heavy equipment like rigs, etc, called back employees from the field and wound up the base camp, till it received a favourable report from the overseas laboratories and experts.

The sources said that the oil company had dug its first exploratory well ‘Benir-II’, near Benir mountain in the Mahal Kohistan Wildlife Sanctuary which turned out to be dry. It may be recalled that the previous one, ‘Benir-I’ was dug by the government-owned Oil and Gas Development Corporation in the vicinity about three decades back which had also turned out to be dry.

The sources said that the PKP then dug in another well ‘Zarkani-I’ — named after the nearby rain-fed stream — near Gaz mountain. At a depth of around 2,850 metres, gas having very high pressure was found. However, the next day, the gas pressure went down to zero.

The sources said that the company once again tested the well and then declared it suspended. The data collected from this well has been sent overseas for re-evaluation and its results are awaited. They said that any decision regarding this well was expected in a couple of months.

The sources said that the PKP now planned to dig up the third exploratory well ‘Chung-I’ in Khirthar National Park, which is closer to its western side bordering Balochistan. The company has submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of ‘Chung-I’ with the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). The report is under process.

The sources pointed out that access to ‘Chung-I’ would be viaDureji Game Reserve in Balochistan.

Some time back, according to the sources, two multinational oil companies — Lasmo and Premier — wanted to dig exploratory wells in and around the Dureji Wildlife Sanctuary and had approached the Balochistan government for a permission.

The Balochistan government, they added, asked the IUCN to evaluate the situation at the sanctuary and put forward its recommendations. The IUCN recommended that Dureji’s status be changed from ‘wildlife sanctuary’ to ‘game reserve.

It was after the change in status that the oil companies were allowed to carry out exploration work.