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Türkiye’s state-owned energy company on Tuesday signed an agreement to look for oil and natural gas within and off Pakistan next year, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced.
The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) inked a hydrocarbon exploration and production agreement with Pakistan’s energy companies Mari Energies, Fatima, OGDCL, PPL, Prime and GHPL.
A consortium that includes TPAO last month won exploration rights for an offshore oil field in Pakistan.
The deal, signed at a ceremony in Islamabad on Tuesday, covers three offshore blocks and two onshore fields, Bayraktar said
Earlier on Tuesday, Bayraktar met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and held separate talks with Pakistan’s Minister of Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik and Federal Minister of Energy Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari.
The minister said Ankara aims to deepen its cooperation with Pakistan in the fields of energy and mining and that the new agreements represent a major step forward.
“This is actually our third visit to Pakistan within a few months,” Bayraktar told Anadolu Agency (AA). President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the South Asian nation in February.
Works to start in 2026
Bayraktar said Türkiye has built strong capabilities in oil and gas exploration in recent years and is now ready to bring that expertise to Pakistan.
“As of today, Turkish Petroleum has secured licenses in three offshore and two onshore areas through partnerships,” he noted.
Türkiye will operate as the operator in one of the offshore blocks, he noted. “Our seismic research vessels will be here very soon, hopefully within 2026. We are extremely hopeful about the work here,” he added.
“God willing, these efforts will yield results, and we will successfully undertake an important project with concrete outcomes for Türkiye-Pakistan cooperation,” said Bayraktar.
“Our goal is to start work in these fields in 2026. We want to carry out these activities with seismic surveys in some areas and direct drilling in others.”
Mining cooperation to expand
Bayraktar said the new energy cooperation would be complemented by a broader partnership in mining, noting that Pakistan has significant mineral diversity and untapped potential.
“We will also undertake significant work in the mining sector in the coming period, primarily through our state-owned companies and via partnerships, similar to the activities we carry out in both Africa and Central Asia,” said the minister.
“We made decisions regarding this today. Our national mining companies, MTAIC and Eti Maden, will swiftly become more active in the mining sector in Pakistan.”
Trade volume target
Bayraktar said Erdoğan’s visit earlier this year had accelerated bilateral relations, particularly in economic cooperation.
He recalled the target set by the president to increase the trade volume between the two countries to $5 billion, and said they see energy and mining as a very important area.
“Concrete collaborations in this field are crucial to achieving this goal. Both Pakistan and Türkiye are two major importers of energy, petroleum products, and also LNG,” Bayraktar said.
He announced that the two countries are working on a joint procurement model that could create significant synergies.
“When we implement these, we will be able to reach, and perhaps even exceed, the set target of $5 billion,” he added.
“Pakistan is an important country with huge potential, where we share emotional ties and have excellent mutual relations … We hope to continue to visit Pakistan more frequently from now on.”
