PPL announces hydrocarbon discovery at LAL X-1 well in Sindh

Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) announced on Tuesday a significant hydrocarbon discovery from its exploratory well LAL X-1, situated in the Kashmore district of Sindh. This discovery, shared through a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), marks the first unconventional gas find from the Lower Alabaster Formation in the Kandhkot Development and Production Lease (D&PL), where PPL holds a 100% working interest.

The unconventional gas was found trapped in tight rock formations, such as shale or sandstone, requiring advanced extraction techniques like hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling. The LAL X-1 well, spudded on June 30, 2025, reached a depth of 1,408 meters to assess the hydrocarbon potential of interbedded limestone beds within the Lower Alabaster Formation. During post-completion testing, the well flowed at a rate of 0.138 MMscfd gas at a wellhead flowing pressure of 33 psig with a 64/64” choke.

PPL confirmed that the well’s results indicate significant hydrocarbon potential in the formation. However, the commercial viability of the find will be determined through post-well analysis and further exploration. Last month, PPL also announced the discovery of hydrocarbon reserves from its well Sawan North Deep-1 ST-1 (SND-1 ST-1) in Khairpur, Sindh.