Pakistan, Turkiye sign gas and mining accords as Ankara commits over $300 million in new investments

Pakistan and Turkiye on Tuesday signed a series of gas and mining agreements expected to attract more than $300 million in investment, with a particular focus on offshore drilling and expanded energy cooperation.

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, who visited Islamabad for the signing, said Turkiye was preparing new joint ventures with Pakistan in oil and gas exploration, energy infrastructure and mining. He added that deeper engagement in these sectors would be central to reaching the two countries’ shared target of $5 billion in annual bilateral trade.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing of multiple memoranda of understanding and concession documents, including the deed of assignment for Eastern Offshore Indus-C and petroleum concessions for the Ziarat North, Sukhpur-II, Offshore Deep-C and Offshore Deep-F blocks. 

Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik welcomed the agreements, saying the new investment would strengthen the sector and reinforce ties with Ankara.

Senior officials from Mari Energies, Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC) and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) briefed the Turkish delegation on exploration plans and opportunities for partnership. OGDC’s managing director highlighted diversification efforts into the Reko Diq copper and gold project, Pakistan’s first shale gas pilot and ongoing tight-gas development, inviting Turkish collaboration in unconventional resource exploration.

Both sides also agreed that Turkish Petroleum would open an office in Islamabad in December, staffed by Turkish and Pakistani personnel. The two ministers discussed the possibility of forming a joint trading company for petroleum procurement to support future energy needs.

Among the agreements signed was the transfer of a 25% working interest and operatorship of the Indus Offshore Block-C from PPL to Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company (TPOC), with Mari Energies and OGDC as joint-venture partners. Exploration licences were also granted to Mari Energies, TPOC and Fatima Petroleum for the Offshore Deep-F and Offshore Deep-C blocks.

For Sukhpur-II, an onshore exploration licence was awarded to Prime Pakistan (operator), OGDC, Mari Energies and TPOC. The Ziarat North Block licence was granted to Mari Energies (operator), OGDC, PPL, TPOC and Government Holdings Private Limited.

Separately, Federal Minister for Power Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari invited reputable foreign investors, including Turkish firms, to participate in the upcoming privatisation of three power distribution companies. He said Turkiye’s experience with a largely private-sector-run energy market made Turkish participation valuable for Pakistan’s reform process.

In a related development from Ankara, Turkiye’s Energy Ministry said state oil company TPAO had signed hydrocarbon exploration and production agreements with Mari Energy, Fatima, OGDCL, PPL, Prime and GHPL for three offshore and two onshore fields in Pakistan. 

Bayraktar said the aim was to begin work in 2026 using a combination of seismic surveys and direct drilling.