By an OGJ Online Correspondent
KARACHI, Jan. 21 -- Pakistan Friday granted a petroleum exploration license for Safed Koh block to a joint venture of Scimitar Hydrocarbons Pakistan Ltd. (80%) and MESA Petroleum (Pvt.) Ltd. (20%).
Scimitar, an affiliate of Canadian E&P company Scimitar Hydrocarbons Corp., will operate the 1,213.74 sq km license in Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab province.
The joint venture will spend more than $55,000 (US) in the first 2 years. It will study geological, geophysical, and well data in the first year. In the second, it will conduct sedimentological studies, acquire surface data, and reprocess and interpret existing seismic data.
In the third year, the companies will either reenter an existing well or drill an exploration well.
Scimitar's main producing asset in the region is the Issaran heavy oil field in Egypt, which was recently declared commercial after completing what is claimed to be the first commercial steam stimulation pilot project in a fractured carbonate reservoir.
