US President Donald Trump’s drill, baby drill had become famous in America, but his recent statement sparked a new debate in Pakistan. Trump had claimed that Pakistan has huge marine oil reserves. After this, activity suddenly increased in Pakistan’s politics, army and energy institutions. The effect of this was that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir has decided to build an artificial island in the Arabian Sea. This island will be about 30 kilometers away from Sujawal area of ​​Sindh, while its distance from Karachi is said to be about 130 kilometers.

According to Bloomberg report, the purpose of island construction is to continue sea drilling 24 hours a day. This platform is being made about 6 feet high to ensure safety from high sea tides. Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) is operating this project. The organization says that the construction of the island will be completed by February next year, after which the work of 25 new drilling wells will be started immediately. This is being considered a big technological step for Pakistan, because till now artificial island technology has been used mostly by developed countries like Gulf countries, China and Japan.

‘Kekra-1’ discovery of 2019

About 5 years ago, Pakistan had invested heavily in a well named ‘Kekra-1’ near Karachi. At that time, world class companies like Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total Energies and Kuwait Petroleum were also involved in this project, but even after drilling deep, no sign of oil was found and in the end only sea water was found. After this, most foreign companies distanced themselves from Pakistan’s exploration plans, as they believed that the amount of potential oil reserves may be too small compared to the risk and cost.

Did Trump’s statement affect the project?

Energy sector experts believe that Pakistan is starting this project without in-depth scientific study. They feel that the government and the military gave too much importance to Trump’s comments, even though there is no scientific data available to support this claim. At a time when the country is dependent on IMF loans and struggling economically, a multi-billion rupee marine drilling project raises many questions.

What will happen if oil is not found?

Failure of this project can put huge pressure on Pakistan’s economy. Foreign investors are already exercising caution and such risky efforts could further worsen the investment climate. The ongoing loan program with the IMF may also be negatively impacted and the country’s political and military credibility is expected to be damaged. According to experts, if this project fails then it can prove to be a serious economic blow for Pakistan.

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