Pakistan’s offshore frontier became operational after nearly two decades on Wednesday as the government inked Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) and Exploration Licences (ELs) for offshore blocks, it was reported on Wednesday.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik witnessed the signing ceremony of PSAs and ELs for offshore exploration blocks awarded under the Offshore Bid Round 2025.
The awarded blocks are located in the Indus and Makran offshore basins adjoining the territorial waters of Sindh and Balochistan.
The Offshore Bid Round 2025 attracted bids covering approximately 54,600 square kilometres of Pakistan’s offshore area, resulting in the award of 23 offshore blocks.
Two offshore blocks awarded under the same bid round, Offshore Deep-C and Offshore Deep-F, had earlier been executed on December 2, 2025, with Mari Energies Limited, Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company (TPOC), and Fatima Petroleum Company Limited during a ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Speaking on the occasion, Ali Pervaiz termed the signing a defining milestone in the government’s efforts to revitalise offshore exploration, attract both foreign and domestic investment, and reduce reliance on imported energy.
He noted that the agreements reflect strong investor confidence in Pakistan’s offshore upstream potential, a frontier spanning 282,623 square kilometres, where only 18 exploratory wells have been drilled since independence.
The minister further highlighted that the successful completion of the offshore bid round reflects the government’s commitment to positioning Pakistan as a credible and competitive offshore destination through a transparent and investor-friendly regulatory framework.
This includes the promulgation of the Offshore Petroleum Rules and the introduction of a Model Production Sharing Agreement incorporated within the bid package to enhance transparency, competitiveness, and investor confidence.
