The government on Friday awarded six petroleum exploration blocks in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab to state-run oil and gas exploration and development companies. Reuters/File
ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday awarded six petroleum exploration blocks in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab to state-run oil and gas exploration and development companies.
The exploration licences (ELs) and petroleum concession agreements (PCAs) were signed by Petroleum Secretary Mian Asad Hayaud Din and Director General of Petroleum Concessions Abdul Jabbar Memon on behalf of the government and Managing Director of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) Shahid Saleem Khan, Managing Director of Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) Faheem Haider and Managing Director of Pakistan Petroleum Limited Moin Raza Khan at a ceremony witnessed by newly appointed Minister for Energy Mohammad Hammad Azhar.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum was informed that about 2.2 million people were associated with oil smuggling in Balochistan. ─ Reuters/File
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Monday asked the government to commit a major part of savings from its drive against smuggling of petroleum products through the Iranian border worth over Rs200 billion annually to livelihood projects to avoid any unrest arising out of closure of illegal business of the people involved.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum presided over by Senator Mohsin Aziz was informed that about 2.2 million people were associated with oil smuggling in Balochistan because of limited job opportunities.