“The Zin block is estimated to have about 9-10 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves and we are moving in the area in a couple of weeks to start drilling,” Shah Mehboob Alam, the Managing Director of Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), told Dawn.

Pakistan's total recoverable reserves are currently estimated at around 27 TCF. He said the company had made preparations and submitted a security plan to the government.

Under the plan, the Frontier Constabulary (FC) would create a new wing of about 500-600 personnel, for which a summary had been moved to the finance ministry for release of funds, he said.

Mr Alam said that Zin was a very prospective block because it was surrounded by major gas producing fields — Pirkoh, Loti, Sui and Uch.

“Once the security cover is there, the OGDCL will be moving in the area in the early part of August to start exploration and drilling. The programme is very ambitious and aggressive that entails first gas flows in 24 months i.e. in 2013,” Mr Alam said.

He said another prospective block in Kohlu was not yet ready for exploration and development activities from security perspective.

The OGDCL shelved a plan in December last year to transfer the ownership rights of the Zin block to a private company through a controversial deal following publication of a report in Dawn.

Geological data indicates that the potential of finding large-scale gas deposits is either offshore or in Balochistan, which has mostly remained unexplored for two decades mainly because of serious security situation in Marri-Bugti area. A major discovery in the area can significantly change the energy outlook of the country.