PPL strikes new gas reserve in Kashmore

Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has made a groundbreaking discovery at its LAL X-1 exploratory well in Kashmore, Sindh, marking a significant step into the country’s unconventional gas sector. While the well’s initial flow rate of 0.138 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd) may seem modest, industry analysts say the find is a major technical achievement. For the first time, hydrocarbons have been successfully extracted from the Lower Alabaster Formation, a geological layer previously considered too challenging to exploit in the region. Unlike conventional gas reservoirs, where hydrocarbons flow freely through porous rock, the LAL X-1 well tapped tight limestone and shale formations. Drilled to a depth of 1,408 meters after spudding on June 30, 2025, the well demonstrated a steady gas flow with a wellhead pressure of 33 psig on a 64/64-inch choke, confirming that the resource is technically recoverable.