ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has placed the oil and gas sector at the centre of its national energy security strategy and is actively seeking new investment, including in offshore exploration after nearly two decades, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Thursday.
Addressing industry leaders, Malik said the government has taken concrete steps to restore macroeconomic stability and strengthen policy credibility, creating a more attractive environment for long-term investment.
Inflationary pressures have moderated, foreign exchange reserves have improved, and international credit rating agencies as well as multilateral agencies have acknowledged improved fiscal discipline and policy credibility. This stabilisation has helped rebuild investor confidence and provides a stronger foundation for long-term investment.
He made these remarks at the closing ceremony of the Annual Technical Conference (ATC) & Exhibition 2026, organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Pakistan Section here. It brought together local and international energy companies, policymakers and technical experts.
Malik added that technological shifts, rising demand and global market uncertainties require for us to adopt decisive, investor-friendly, and forward-looking policies. He highlighted ongoing reforms focused on policy certainty, sector sustainability and investment facilitation, and pointed to the revival of offshore exploration after nearly 18 years, supported by a major Offshore Bid Round that successfully attracted new partners.
The conference, themed ‘Energising the Future from Within: Sustainably, Securely, Strategically’, featured technical sessions on AI-enabled subsurface modelling, production optimization, well integrity, offshore basin studies and carbon management, alongside a high-level panel on technology, data and execution in Pakistan’s upstream sector and a student career counselling programme.
ATC Chairman Faheem Haider, managing director and CEO of MariEnergies, said the event reflected growing unity across Pakistan’s oil and gas industry. He praised the quality of technical papers, stressed the need to accelerate resource discovery and development, and acknowledged strong government support in creating a favourable environment for growth and energy security.
