Mari completes commissioning, testing of gas processing facilities in Sindh

KARACHI: Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) on Thursday announced successful commissioning and performance testing of gas processing facilities in Daharki, Sindh.

The development came when Pakistan struggles with low foreign exchange reserves, making it difficult for the country to obtain fuel cargoes to meet its energy demands.

“We are pleased to inform that after the successful completion of construction activities of SGPC [Sachal Gas Processing Complex] Phase-II, the phased commissioning and performance testing of the gas processing facilities is now complete,” read a notice by Mari to the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

Presently, around 95 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of pipeline specification gas is being supplied to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) via MPCL’s own 20 inch, 25 km long, cross country gas transmission pipeline connecting SGPC to the SNGPL valve assembly (QV-2) at Muhammadpur. “Post integration of SGPC Phase-I and II and after commissioning of the remaining wells which is ongoing, the plant will reach its full potential in due course,” Muhammad Sajjad, acting company secretary at MPCL, stated in the notice.

Earlier the company had completed construction of SGPC Phase-II facilities to process low Btu gas from Goru-B reservoir of Mari Gas Field, Daharki, Sindh.

At the start of 2023, Mari also announced gas discovery at an exploratory well Mari Ghazij-1, located in Mari D&PL in Sindh, with a gas flow rate of 5.1 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd), making its first discovery for the year.

MPCL is the operator of Mari D&PL with 100 percent working interest. The well was drilled down to a depth of 1,015 meters, while the gas flow rate established through a drill stem test was recorded at 5.1 mmscfd, with wellhead flowing pressure of 232 pounds per square inch at 64/64 inch choke size.

In a separate discovery in the province back in 2020, the company announced gas reserves from an exploratory effort at Iqbal Well 1, drilled in Mari D&P Lease located in Ghotki. Iqbal Well 1 was drilled and tested using MPCL’s in-house expertise, and on July 11, 2020 drilled down to a depth of 1,250 meters into Sui Main Limestone formation. The well was tested at a rate of 3.127 mmscfd gas.

MPCL (Mari) is a public limited company incorporated in Pakistan. It is principally engaged in exploration, production and sale of hydrocarbons. With a 23 percent market share, it’s the second-largest gas producer in the country, and has a strong reserve base of around 642 million barrel of oil equivalent, as per the information given on its website.