ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon on Tuesday appreciated the government of Jordan for its help and assistance for earthquake victims and also lauded Shaheen Business and Investment Group’s $50,000 donation for relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The minister was talking to a seven-member Jordan’s Shaheen Business and Investment Group (SBIG) led by the deputy prime minister and discussed with them investment opportunities in petroleum and mineral sectors.

Mr Jadoon said that there existed a lot of potential and opportunities for the Jordanian group to invest in oil, gas and mineral sectors, besides participating in the proposed gas, LNG and coastal refinery projects for the mutual advantage.

Petroleum secretary Ahmed Waqar gave a detailed briefing about oil, gas and mineral sectors development activities in Pakistan. He said during the last five years, the petroleum sector had witnessed a tremendous growth, increasing oil production from 55,000 to 66,000 bpd, gas from two to 3.7 billion cubic feet and LPG to 1,500 tons per day.

He said the government had deregulated and liberalized the petroleum sector aimed at attracting private sector investment. He said Pakistan was endowed with vast resources of hydrocarbon as well as minerals, adding that all-out efforts were being made to explore them to meet the growing energy need of the country.

The Shaheen Group chairman expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and destruction in the Oct 8 earthquake and hoped that the people of Pakistan would overcome the hour of trial soon.

He said that the visit of Jordan’s Shaheen group would help identify areas of interaction in diversified fields, including the petroleum sector, for the mutual benefit. The delegation evinced a keen interest in coal, phosphate, coastal refinery, white oil pipeline from Rawalpindi to Peshawar and cross border gas pipeline projects.