Khyber Pukhtunkhwa is a very rich province in oil and gas reserves. The federal government Public Sector Corporation, OGDCL started the exploration work in the province in the year 2000 and made first discovery of oil and gas in Skardara in collaboration with Zewer Petroleum limited early 2001. The then Chief Executive of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf was scheduled to inaugurate the operation of two oil wells, but due to other pressing engagements in Islamabad he couldn’t come and former military Governor Lieutenant General (R) Muhammad Shafiq formally inaugurated the production activity from this oil field.
After the enactment of 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 2010 the political leadership of political parties made the people believe that under the provision of this amendment the province has got maximum control over resources although grey areas about are still there. ANP leadership described it the realization of their dream “Khpla khawar khpal ikhtiar”. The PTI government established KP OGCL to undertake the gigantic task of oil and gas exploration in collaboration with multi-national companies. But the provincial government appointed an electrical engineer Razi-u-Din as Chief Executive Officer of this company who turned out to be “A barber without razor”. Thus this Persian verse about KP OGCL holds true. “Khiste awal chune kad memar kaj Ta Suria merawd deewar kaj.”
Oil and gas exploration is a high-tech enterprise for which a pool of highly trained man power, comprising Petroleum Geologists, Geophysicists and petroleum engineer is required. The only hope for the forward journey of KP OGCL was GM operation Nazir UL Haq who was fired because his legitimate difference with the non-technical CEO on technical matters. He is M.Sc in petroleum geology and has 35 years experience in multi-national exploration and production oil and gas companies. The note worthy companies are: PPL, British Lasmo Oil and Italian Eni. He played a major role in the development of Sui and Kadanwari Gas Fields and contributed in a big way in the discoveries of Bhit, Badhra, Halleland Lundli Gas fields. He had been a team leader of Geologists and Geophysicists responsible for prospect generation. The ex GM KP OGCL had been a member of the Source Rock Evaluation Project in FATA. His research articles have been published in the national and international Research Journals of high impact factor. On the other hand The CEO of KPOGCL doesn’t know anything about seismic survey of oil and gas exploration blocs, prospects of likely finds of oil and gas, production and operation. It was because of lack of this knowledge that that CEO KPOGCL showed green gardens of oil and gas reserves to the Chief Minister in Nowshera bloc, ignoring the fact that this bloc is metamorphic one wherein the Volcanic Lava of 800 degrees Celsius temperature had reduced all minerals to ashes.
The KPOGCL Management has not taken even a first step towards building the necessary technical infrastructure enabling the company to efficiently collaborate with the multinational oil and gas giants for oil and gas exploration ventures. Such an important organization should not remain hanging in the air indefinitely. It is time to build its organizational structure and frame recruitment rules for the appointment and induction of required experts. The eyewash formality of performance and technical audits, which are likely to be manipulated by any well wisher of the CEO, may not bring the desired results.
