ISLAMABAD, May 3: A new gas reserve has been found in Kirthar range, the petroleum ministry said on Friday.

Italian energy major ENI with joint venture partners Pakistan Petroleum Ltd and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company made the discovery in the Kirthar Fold Belt region, 270km north of Karachi.

“During the production testing gas flowed at 33 million cubic feet per day highlighting an excellent potential for the future energy needs of the country,” the ministry said in a statement.

Officials said that under an early production scheme, gas supply from the new reserve would be possible within three years.

Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Sohail Wajahat Siddiqui said the discovery was “good news for the nation and the energy sector of Pakistan”.

The discovery of new oil and gas reservoirs were “vital” to cope with the prevailing energy shortage in the country, Mr Siddiqui said.

ENI has been in Pakistan since 2000 and is the country’s largest producer, with an average production of 54,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2011.—AFP