PPL Clarifies Misleading Reports on “Artificial Island” Project

PAKISTAN – Energy

Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has issued a clarification regarding recent media reports suggesting that the company is “reclaiming land from the sea to build an artificial island.” According to PPL, this coverage is misleading and does not accurately reflect the technical scope or design of the project currently underway.

In its PSX filling, PPL explained that the activities in progress are aimed at enabling safe drilling operations in a challenging marshy, tide-affected environment—not the development of a standalone offshore island. The initiative, described as technically complex and among the first of its kind in Pakistan, is located in the southern marshy region of the Sirani Block near district Sujawal. The area has remained largely unexplored due to significant operational and accessibility constraints.

PPL has already completed acquisition of 2D and 3D seismic data in the region using specialized transition-zone equipment. Construction work is now advancing to support upcoming drilling operations, including the development of loading and offloading jetties, as well as an access road connecting the offloading jetty to the well site.

Due to marshy subsoil conditions and tidal influence, both the access road and the well pad are being elevated by approximately nine feet to ensure uninterrupted operations. The well site lies about 30 kilometers from the mainland, and a natural water channel spanning around 17 kilometers will be used to transport rig equipment and materials via barges.

PPL confirmed that the well is scheduled to be spud in March 2026. – ER News Desk

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