KARACHI: Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) on Monday announced a gas and condensate discovery from its operated Dolphin X-1 exploratory well in the Sirani Block in Sujawal district, Sindh, describing it as the first hydrocarbon discovery from the Jurassic-age Chiltan Formation in the Lower Indus Basin.
PPL said the discovery establishes a working petroleum system and opens a new exploration play across the onshore marshy area, with potential extensions into shallow offshore areas. The company said the development can further improve the prospectivity of Pakistan’s shallow offshore.
The area had long been considered difficult to explore because of its geographical location and marshy terrain. PPL said it is the first exploration and production company to overcome the terrain and deploy specialised transition equipment to acquire 2D and 3D seismic data, turning the previously unexplored area into a proven petroleum play.
Dolphin X-1 was spudded on April 17, 2026, and drilled to a measured depth of 3,850 metres to assess the hydrocarbon potential of the Chiltan Formation.PPL said a hydrocarbon-bearing zone is identified from drilling results and wireline logs. During testing, the Chiltan Formation flowed gas with a heating value of about 1,000 British thermal units per standard cubic foot (Btu/scf) at a rate of 0.942 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd), at a wellhead flowing pressure of 211 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) through a 32/64-inch choke.
PPL operates the Sirani Block with a 75 per cent working interest, while Government Holdings (Private) Limited (GHPL) holds the remaining 25 per cent. The well was drilled and tested using local expertise and has identified a new hydrocarbon play within the Chiltan Limestone, PPL said.
The company acknowledged the Pakistan Navy’s support during the project.Preliminary geological, geophysical and engineering data indicate that the reservoir is tight, PPL said. The assessment will require further evaluation of geological and geophysical data and reservoir engineering information gathered during drilling and testing.
