Pakistan’s energy sector is set for a major transformation as Mari Energies Limited (MariEnergies), Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), and a consortium of leading exploration and production (E&P) companies have been provisionally awarded a record number of new offshore exploration blocks in the country’s largest-ever competitive bid round.
According to official disclosures to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), the Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions (DGPC) communicated the provisional award of 23 new offshore blocks to MariEnergies on November 12, 2025.
Of these, MariEnergies will operate 18 blocks and participate as a joint venture partner in five others. The awards follow a competitive bidding process based on work commitments and are part of the Pakistan E&P Offshore Bid Round 2025.
OGDCL, in a separate notice, confirmed its participation and significant stakes in several of these blocks, aligning with its strategy to accelerate exploration and bolster Pakistan’s hydrocarbon reserves.
The Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) has also awarded exploration rights to Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Prime Global Energies Limited (Prime), Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company Limited (TPOC), United Energy Pakistan Limited (UEP), Orient Petroleum Inc (OPI), and Fatima Petroleum Company Limited (FPCL) as part of various joint ventures.
Key Offshore Blocks and Partnerships
The awarded blocks are spread across the Indus and Makran offshore basins, with operatorship and working interests distributed among the consortium partners. Notable blocks and their partnerships include:
- Bin Qasim South (Indus Offshore): OGDCL (Operator, 32%), MariEnergies (24%), PPL (24%), Prime (20%)
- Keti Bandar (Indus Offshore): OGDCL (Operator, 32%), MariEnergies (24%), PPL (24%), Prime (20%)
- Kochi Creek (Indus Offshore): PPL (Operator, 40%), MariEnergies (30%), OGDCL (30%)
- Behr Block (Indus Offshore): MariEnergies (Operator, 40%), OGDCL (30%), PPL (30%)
- Zarrar Block (Indus Offshore): MariEnergies (Operator, 32%), OGDCL (24%), PPL (24%), Prime (20%)
- Gharo Creek (Indus Offshore): PPL (Operator, 40%), MariEnergies (30%), OGDCL (30%)
- Offshore Deep D (Indus Offshore): MariEnergies (Operator, 40%), OGDCL (30%), PPL (30%)
- Sapat Bandar (Makran Offshore): Prime (Operator, 31%), MariEnergies (23%), OGDCL (23%), PPL (23%)
- MariEnergies has also secured 100% operatorship in several Makran Offshore Ultra Deep blocks (I to X), further expanding its footprint in the region.
The formal award of petroleum rights is subject to the grant of exploration licenses, execution of production sharing and joint operating agreements, and completion of all legal and procedural requirements. Both MariEnergies and OGDCL have pledged to keep stakeholders and the stock exchange informed as the process advances.
This sweeping allocation of offshore blocks is expected to unlock new hydrocarbon resources, strengthen Pakistan’s energy security, and attract substantial foreign and local investment into the country’s upstream sector. The systematic exploration of these largely untapped basins could mark a new era for Pakistan’s oil and gas industry, positioning the country as a significant player in the regional energy landscape.
