Pakistan’s largest exploration and production firm, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, has significantly increased crude output from its Kal-03 well located in Punjab’s Chakwal district, following a targeted intervention designed to revive production from a mature asset.
According to a regulatory filing submitted for dissemination among market participants, the Kal-03 well had previously been producing approximately 50 barrels of oil per day under natural flow conditions. After executing a planned workover operation, production has surged to around 750 barrels per day, marking a substantial increase in daily output.
The enhancement was achieved through a combination of Multistage Physico-Chemical treatment and the installation of an electric submersible pump. These measures are commonly deployed in aging reservoirs where natural pressure has declined over time, limiting the well’s ability to sustain commercial flow rates without artificial lift support.
OGDCL stated that the intervention at Kal-03 forms part of its broader production optimization strategy. The company has been focusing on stabilizing output levels and extracting incremental gains from mature fields across its portfolio. With many legacy assets experiencing natural depletion, operators are increasingly turning to advanced recovery techniques and engineered solutions to maintain production efficiency.
The electric submersible pump installation plays a central role in this effort. By mechanically lifting hydrocarbons to the surface, ESP systems help offset pressure decline within the reservoir, allowing continued extraction at commercially viable rates. Combined with chemical treatments aimed at improving flow characteristics and clearing formation damage, such interventions can significantly extend the productive life of established wells.
Pakistan’s upstream oil and gas sector has been under pressure due to declining output from older fields and limited large-scale new discoveries. As reservoir pressure naturally diminishes over time, companies must invest in workovers, enhanced recovery methods, and artificial lift technologies to sustain domestic supply. These measures are critical in reducing reliance on imported crude and petroleum products, particularly in a context of external account constraints.
The Kal-03 improvement illustrates how incremental enhancements at existing sites can deliver meaningful output gains without the long lead times associated with new exploration campaigns. By lifting production from 50 barrels per day to roughly 750 barrels per day, OGDCL has demonstrated the impact of focused technical intervention on asset performance.
Industry analysts note that such optimization programs are becoming increasingly important for energy security. While exploration activity continues, the absence of major recent discoveries has heightened the importance of maximizing recovery from mature reservoirs. Workovers and production enhancement projects provide relatively faster returns compared to greenfield developments.
The disclosure was made in accordance with securities regulations, ensuring transparency for investors and stakeholders in the capital market. As a listed entity, OGDCL is required to inform the market of material developments that could influence operational performance or financial outcomes.
The production boost at Kal-03 underscores a strategic shift within Pakistan’s upstream landscape, where technological application and asset-level efficiency are emerging as key levers for sustaining output. By intensifying recovery efforts at existing wells, operators aim to cushion the impact of natural depletion and support national energy requirements amid a constrained exploration environment.
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