In the backdrop of rapidly depleting oil and gas resources, it is encouraging that Pakistan has successfully revived its offshore exploration drive after a hiatus of nearly two decades. The recently launched “Offshore Bid Round 2025” has attracted keen interest from both domestic and international companies, signalling renewed confidence in Pakistan’s energy sector.

In October 2025, the government awarded 23 offshore exploratory blocks to four consortia led by domestic exploration and production (E&P) companies; Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL), Oil and Gas Development Co Ltd (OGDCL), Mari Energies Ltd, and Prime International Oil & Gas Co Ltd (PIOGCL), a subsidiary of HUBCO.

These awards, out of a total of 40 blocks offered for bidding, cover an extensive area of around 53,500 square kilometres across the Indus and Makran basins.

The consortia have collectively pledged $80 million for initial exploration over the next three years, including geological and geophysical surveys, seismic data acquisition, and interpretation to identify drilling prospects. The next phase, involving exploratory drilling, will determine the commercial viability of any discovered reserves. The remaining 17 blocks are expected to be reoffered in future bid rounds.

A landmark development in this round is Turkiye’s national oil and gas company, Turkish Petroleum (TPAO), securing a 25 percent stake and operatorship in the eastern offshore Indus Block-C through its subsidiary Turkish Petroleum Overseas Co (TPOC).

This move expands Turkiye’s energy footprint beyond its domestic and Mediterranean operations, marking a new partnership in........

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