Pakistan has achieved a milestone in its energy sector with the launch of its first horizontal oil well, significantly enhancing production efficiency despite challenging reservoir conditions.

Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) announced the start of production from its Pasakhi-13 development well, located in Hyderabad. The well is currently producing 460 barrels of oil per day, marking the country's first successful horizontal drilling operation in a clastic reservoir within the Lower Goru formation.

Drilled to a measured depth of 2,966 metres, the well includes a 546-metre horizontal section. The use of advanced geo-steering technology allowed operators to navigate within a narrow three-metre drilling window, ensuring precise placement in the reservoir's most productive zone.

The well has been completed using a short string Electric Submersible Pump tailored for horizontal configurations. This approach has significantly increased reservoir exposure, resulting in nearly three times higher output compared with nearby conventional wells operating under similar geological conditions.

Pasakhi-13 forms part of the Pasakhi and Pasakhi North Development and Production Lease, in which OGDC holds full working interest.

The development highlights the growing use of advanced drilling techniques in Pakistan's hydrocarbon sector, aimed at improving domestic oil production and enhancing resource recovery.