KARACHI: Pakistan’s natural gas production currently stands at 3,597mmcfd against the all-time highest flow of 4,126mmcfd recorded in February 2017.

Flows from three major gas fields have depleted since 2017, as Qadirpur fell by 43 per cent to 191mmcfd from 337mmcfd recorded in February 2017; Kandhkot flows plummeted by 37pc to 130mmcfd from 208mmcfd; and Sui flows plunged to 348mmcfd from 444mmcfd during the same period.

The gas production from Nashpa and Makori East fell to 94mmcfd and 79mmcfd, respectively, from 101mmcfd and 87mmcfd — down by seven and eight per cent, respectively.

Analyst Shankar Talreja at Top Line Securities said production from Mari gas field rose by 18pc to 753mmcfd from 641mmcfd, while Uch production rose by three per cent to 436mmcfd from 424mmcfd.

He said that recoverable gas reserves of the country increased by two per cent to 62,964 billion cubic feet (bcf) till December 2020 compared to 62,011bcf in June 2020.

He said the increase was due to upward revision of the gas reserves of Mari’s HRL and Mari Deep by seven and eight per cent, respectively, and induction of five new fields — Baqa, Mangrio, Mamikhel South, Togh and Umair.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2021