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WEEKLY
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| Haste in awarding 41 blocks for oil exploration |
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Naveed Qamar has ruined the efforts of his predecessor, who held road shows in various countries in the month of July, to allure the world known new companies for investment in oil and gas sector and rejected the request of some local and international companies to delay the bidding for 53 blocks by four weeks till October 30 so that they could participate in the bidding after some technical analysis, The News has learnt.
Dr Asim Hussain, former adviser to the prime minister on petroleum and natural resources, along with his team comprising special secretary GA Sabri and other top officials held the road shows in London at Hotel Hilton Park Lane on July 23-24, in Houston (USA) at Hilton Post Oak on July 27 and 28 and in Calgary (Canada) at Sheraton Suites Calgary on July 30-31, but the ministry headed by Mr Naveed Qamar remained unmoved and did not allow the main three foreign companies who were keen to bring huge investment and modern technically in Pakistan in the said sector.
“The ministry did not take care of the request forwarded through special secretary GA Sabri by three new international companies, rather it held the bidding of 53 blocks in indecent haste and ruined the dividends of the road shows which were held in London, Houston (USA) and Calgary, Canada in the month of July at the cost of millions of dollars,” said one source privy to the whole situation.
The world known companies with excellent experience of exploration and production in oil and gas sector that include SPUD Energy Pty Ltd of Australia, Inter Energy Venture of US and Verenex Energy Inc, Canada had placed the request for delay in bidding till October 30. It is pertinent to mention that the ministry had given assurance that the bidding will be delayed and that they will be given chance to participate in the bidding.
According to the officials involved in the bidding process, during July-August, all oil companies in Canada and US are on holidays. This is another reason why the companies from US and Canada wanted delay in the bidding for 30 days and more.
The two local companies Zart Oil PTV and OGIL (Oil and Gas Investment Limited) also placed the request for delay by 4 weeks up to October 30, but they were deprived of the right to take part in the bidding. The three international companies were willing to invest in Pakistan.
But unfortunately, the ministry after turning down the request of the foreign companies held the biding of 53 blocks under the new petroleum policy 2009 on September 30, but received bids from local and foreign companies which are already working in country’s oil and gas sector for 41 blocks and no new foreign companies participated in the bidding.
The hasty and faulty decision, however, was taken by the top man of the ministry, which has virtually deprived the country of huge investment and modern technology in E&P sector that the country direly needs.
This scribe failed to make contact with Naveed Qamar, despite repeated attempts. The minister, who attends office occasionally, remained evasive on this particular issue. The scribe visited his office many times to get his version and left many massages at his office, but the minister did not respond.
When contacted Mr Mehmood Saleem, secretary ministry of petroleum and natural resources, said that new foreign companies took part in the bidding and he refused to divulge any detail, saying special secretary GA Sabri was in-charge of the whole process.
The bidding took place on September 30 and the local companies and foreign companies, which are already in E&P business in Pakistan, took part and managed to get the blocks. PPL (Pakistan Petroleum Limited) managed to get 13 blocks, OGDCL 6, OGIL (oil and Gas Incitement Ltd) 6, RDC 5, British Petroleum (BP) 2, Hycarbex 2, New Horizon 2, ENI 1, POL 2, OPI 1 and Mari gas 1.
The official said that even those companies, which could not implement the work plan, managed to get new blocks.The general practice is that the company, which gets hold of the block, offloads its rights to other companies and earns a lot in case no success in exploration and production is made.
If the foreign companies with strong financial background and modern technologies were given the blocks, then the E&P activities could have accelerated. The RDC, which has failed to complete its work plan in the Changai block, and could not bring investment under petroleum concession agreement, managed to get 5 blocks more. The company, in fact should have been blacklisted.
Some 25 companies had already got 117 blocks prior to the bidding of 41 new blocks. These companies include British Petroleum (Alpha) with three offshore Indus blocks; Hycarbex with one block of Yasin and Zamzama North; ENI Pakistan with three offshore Indus bocks and four onshore blocks of Mithi, Rajar, Thar and Umarkot; Nativus with three blocks of Lugai, Huramzai and Ladgasht; MOL with three blocks of Tal, Margala and Margala North; MGCL with 6 blocks of Ziarat, Karak, Sukkur, Sujawal, Harnai and Hanna; OGDCL with 33 blocks of Zin, Bitrism, Tando Allahyar, Zamurdan, Saruna, Nim, Rachna, Dhudial, Khewari, Sinjhoro, Gurgalot, Kohlu, Kalchas, Shahana, Kotra, Nashpa, Feth Jang, Multan North, Off shore Indus-G, Samandar, Thatta, Latambar, Khiranwala, Bagh South, Thatta East, Tegani, Thal, Soghri, Wali, Mianwali, Offshore-s, offshore-R, Guddu, Thano, Beg, eastern off Indus-A, Shann, Kohat; OMV with 3 blocks of Gambat, Latif, S W Miano-II; OPII with five blocks of Khipro, Sakhi Sarwar, Mirpurkhas, Maharvi and Marwat; PAIGE with two blocks of Murgha Faqir Zai and Multanai; PEL with 14 blocks of Mirpur Mathelo, Salam, Old Block 22, Badin IV South, Badin IV north,Karsal, Jhangra, New Larkana, Mirpur Khas West, Sanghar East, Kaloi, Offshore Indus-J, Offshore Indus P and Offshore Indus O; Petrosan with three blocks of Mubarik, Daphro and Mehar; POL with 2 blocks Kirther South, Ikhlas; POGC with one block of Kirther; PPL with seven blocks of Nushki, Dadhar, Khozdar, Hala, Kalat, Bahawalpur East and Barkhan; Pyramid with three blocks of Punjab, Cholistan and Shakar Ganj West; Dewan Petroleum with one block of Safed Koh; RDC with one block of Changai; Saif Energy with two blocks of Sari South and Khetwaro; ZhenHua Oil with one block of Baska; Heritage Oil with one block of Sanjawi; Techno Petroleum with one block of Islamgarth; New Horizon with two blocks of Kunari and Jherruck; Niko with four official Indus blocks of North, X, Y and Z and Tullow with two blocks of Block 28 and Bannu West.
“Some of the players including PAIGE and RDC could not complete their work units and did not come up with the required investment, but still RDC has managed to get 5 more blocks in the new bidding. The OGDCL which has also failed to act as per the work plan in more than 10 blocks has again been given 6 blocks though its performance was not up to the mark,” the official said.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
