ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), one of the country’s leading energy and exploration companies, has rejected recent media reports claiming that the company is “reclaiming land from the sea to build an artificial island.” In a statement issued on Thursday, PPL termed the coverage “misleading,” clarifying that the ongoing project is focused on enabling safe oil and gas exploration in a challenging marshy environment rather than developing a standalone offshore island.
PPL explained that the project, located 300 km off the coast of Sindh in the Sirani Block near district Sujawal, involves efforts to overcome operational and accessibility challenges in an area previously unexplored due to its marshy, tide-affected conditions. The company emphasized that the initiative is technically complex and represents one of the first such projects in Pakistan to engage in drilling within this type of terrain.
The company outlined that construction activities are currently underway, with the access road and well pad being raised by approximately nine feet to mitigate the effects of tides and ensure operational continuity. Specialized transition-zone equipment has already been used to acquire 2D and 3D seismic data for the area.
PPL further clarified that the well location is approximately 30 km from the mainland, with a natural water channel of about 17 km used to transport materials and equipment via barges. The company plans to spud the well in March 2026.
