Pakistan is moving forward with an ambitious plan to construct an artificial island off the coast of Sindh to accelerate its offshore oil exploration efforts, as the country looks to maximise its natural resource potential.
According to a Bloomberg report, Islamabad has intensified its search for hydrocarbons following renewed international interest in Pakistan’s energy reserves. The push gained momentum after US President Donald Trump highlighted the country’s “massive oil reserves” and a recent study suggested the presence of significant untapped offshore hydrocarbons.
State-owned Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has confirmed that it will build the artificial island roughly 30 kilometres from the Sindh coast near Sujawal. The island will serve as a dedicated launchpad for continuous drilling and exploration operations.
PPL’s General Manager for Exploration and Core Business Development, Arshad Palekar, told Bloomberg that the platform would be elevated six feet above sea level to ensure that high tides and rough weather do not interrupt operations.
Speaking on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference in Islamabad, Palekar said the project — the first of its kind in Pakistan — was inspired by Abu Dhabi, which has successfully used artificial islands for offshore drilling.
Construction of the island is expected to be completed by February, after which PPL will immediately begin operations. The company plans to drill around 25 wells from the site, marking a major leap in Pakistan’s offshore exploration capacity.
This development comes shortly after Pakistan awarded 23 offshore exploration blocks to four consortia made up of both local and foreign energy firms. The Ministry of Energy announced on October 31 that this was Pakistan’s first offshore bidding round in nearly 20 years, covering an exploration area of about 53,500 square kilometres.
In July, President Trump revealed that the US and Pakistan had reached an agreement to jointly work on developing Pakistan’s oil resources. He stated on Truth Social that Washington was in the process of selecting the oil company that would lead the partnership.
