KARACHI, Aug 19: The Sindh wildlife department has directed an oil company carrying out exploration work in the Khirthar National Park, not to carry out work at the Kambhu mountain in the park without following the prescribed procedure, it was reliably learnt.

According to sources, the multinational oil company — a joint venture of Premier Oil Overseas and the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company — had permission to work near the Dumbar mountain, but it did not want to work there at present.

The sources said that the company wanted to start work at Kambhu mountain, which is a sensitive zone from the wildlife point of view.

Responding to Dawn’s queries, the Sindh Wildlife Conservator Muneer Awan said that the oil company chief Patrick Bird had approached the department and wanted the company to be allowed to carry out work at the crest of the Kambhu mountain, which is a highly sensitive and biodiverse area, as a large number of wildlife species such as the Sindh ibex, uriala and chinkara are found there.

He said that though the company was allowed to work at the Dumbar region, it did not want to start work there as yet, as the seismic data from Kambhu mountain showed more promise from the oil and gas recovery point of view.

The conservator said that the company gave a detailed presentation to the department for the permission to star work at Kambhu, but it was not allowed.

Awan said that the company has been directed to first carry out the pre-EIA (environment impact assessment) survey and submit its report, after which it would be decided if permission would be given or not.

If permission is given, then the EIA would be carried out and its report would be submitted and examined. A public hearing will be held, after which a decision would be taken whether to allow the company to work at the Kambhu mountain or not.

He said that the pre-EIA survey is to be carried out by a joint team comprising of representatives of the oil company, the wildlife department and the Sindh environmental protection agency.

The federal government had awarded the license to the company to carry out oil and gas exploration in the Dumbar block, which comprises the Khirthar National Park and a few of its adjoining wildlife protected areas.

The company has already started the drilling of a well in the Mahal Kohistan wildlife protected area that borders the national park.