Forensic audit team formed to analyze dry/shut-in oil, gas wells

 Amid fast depletion of existing hydrocarbon deposits and increased energy demand, the Petroleum Division has constituted a team to conduct a forensic audit of the dry/shut-in wells drilled in different parts of the country by oil and gas Exploration & Production (E&P) companies.

“A four-member core committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Dr Naseem Ahmed (ex-ED/MD OGDCL) to formulate a forensic team to analyze the dry/shut-in wells in detail and submit its report within a month,” according to an official document available with APP.

The country’s existing gas production is around 3.7 billion Cubic Feet per Day (BCFD) against the demand of 6 BCFD, while the available gas reserves are depleting at the ratio of 9.5 percent per year.

The committee would be assisted by 15 co-opted members including three from Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP), two from Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), two from Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), four each from Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL).

The chairman of the committee has also been asked to formulate forensic field monitoring teams, comprising representatives of E&P companies, GSP, HDIP and officers of the Policy Wing of Petroleum Division.

As per the Terms of Reference (TORs), the field teams would visit shut-in wells throughout the country and evaluate their status on technical lines.

The teams would conduct a forensic audit of the wells and check the feasibility of wells that could be reviewed and put on production.

It would review the timelines provided by the E&P companies and suggest schedule compression for production from the feasible wells.

The team would also ensure execution of work plans for revivals of the already identified shut-in wells for which the E&P companies have committed schedules and work plans, besides recommending penalty as per law, if it found any failure of non-compliance or non-implementation of the committed work plays by the E&P companies.

The team would have the mandate to monitor the wells already in production for purposes such as quality control, assessment of the production facilities, technical losses/theft assessments and review of daily production data and drilling data.”

“This team will report the status of shut-in wells and report directly to the Secretary Petroleum Division within a month period. It will also do any additional assignment given by the competent authority.”