Islamabad, November 19, 2025 – Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) is set to construct the country’s first artificial island 300 km off the Sindh coast to accelerate offshore oil and gas exploration, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of an oil and gas conference in Islamabad, PPL’s General Manager Exploration Arshad Palekar said the six-foot-high platform will shield operations from high tides, enabling 24/7 drilling. Drawing inspiration from Abu Dhabi’s successful artificial islands, construction is slated for completion in February 2026, with exploration commencing immediately.
The project gains momentum from PPL’s recent farm-out agreement with Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company (TPOC) for the Eastern Offshore Indus C Block, strengthening Pakistan-Turkiye energy ties. Last month, Pakistan awarded 23 offshore blocks—the first such round in nearly two decades—to consortia led by local firms, some including foreign partners like TPAO. The initiative aims to narrow the widening oil and gas supply-demand gap through aggressive offshore exploration.