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Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) will soon begin offshore drilling operations in Pakistan's territorial waters, Pakistani Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik confirmed Sunday, as Türkiye and Pakistan move ahead with agreements covering three offshore and two onshore hydrocarbon exploration fields set to launch in 2026.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Malik said the drilling operations would pave the way for significant foreign investment in Pakistan's energy sector.
Malik highlighted Pakistan's energy challenges, saying the country imports around 90% of its energy requirements, while domestic oil production stands at approximately 70,000 barrels per day against daily demand of around 500,000 barrels.
He stressed the need to accelerate indigenous oil and gas exploration to reduce reliance on imports.
The petroleum minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had tasked a leading international company with preparing a comprehensive roadmap for the country's energy sector, to be presented to national leadership in the coming months.
Malik also said the flow of circular debt had been halted and that efforts were underway to clear outstanding liabilities inherited from previous administrations.
He announced that LPG tenders would open Monday and said the government had made arrangements to issue new gas connections for consumers.
Malik said the government's focus had shifted to accelerating economic growth. Referring to international developments, he said the Iran-U.S. conflict had created significant challenges for global energy markets, leading to unprecedented increases in crude oil and petroleum product prices.
Despite these pressures, Malik said, the government had ensured uninterrupted fuel supplies across the country and made every effort to protect consumers from the full impact of rising international prices.
He said the government remained committed to providing maximum relief to the public despite limited financial resources.
Separately, TPAO signed three offshore and two onshore hydrocarbon research and exploration agreements with Pakistani companies in Islamabad in December 2025.
The Pakistani companies involved are Mari Energies, Fatima Group, OGDCL, PPL, Prime and GHPL, according to a statement.
Türkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that Türkiye will explore for oil and natural gas in the five Pakistani fields in 2026.
"Our target is to start work on these fields next year, some at seismic research stage and others direct drilling work," Bayraktar told state-owned Anadolu Agency (AA) during an interview after the ceremony.
He told AA that TPAO will acquire licenses through partnerships for all five fields and will act as operator in one of them.
"Our seismic research vessels will hopefully arrive in Pakistan next year," Bayraktar said, adding, "Hopefully, these activities will yield results and mark an important step that produces concrete outcomes for Türkiye-Pakistan cooperation."
"Our goal is to begin operations in these fields in 2026, conducting seismic studies in some areas and direct drilling activities in others," he added.
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Bayraktar said significant decisions had also been made regarding mining cooperation, pointing to Pakistan's rich and diverse mineral resources.
"Just as we have carried out activities in Africa and Central Asia, we will undertake projects here in the mining sector as well, primarily through our state-owned companies and new partnerships," he said.
"Our national mining companies, MTAIC and Eti Maden, will swiftly take a more active role in Pakistan, and we will expand our operations in the field of mining," the Turkish minister noted.
Bayraktar recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's goal of raising trade between Türkiye and Pakistan to $5 billion, saying both countries are major energy importers working on joint procurement to create synergy.
"These steps will help us reach, and possibly surpass, the $5 billion target," he said, adding, "Pakistan has great potential and strong, friendly ties with us."
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