Türkiye will launch oil and natural gas exploration in three offshore and two onshore fields in Pakistan beginning in 2026, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced during high-level meetings in Islamabad.
Bayraktar met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, and held separate talks with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Energy Minister for Electricity Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari.
Following the meetings, Türkiye’s national oil company TPAO signed hydrocarbon exploration and production agreements with six Pakistani firms — Mari Energies, Fatima, OGDCL, PPL, Prime and GHPL — covering five blocks across the country.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Bayraktar said the deals mark a “significant step” in expanding energy and mining cooperation between Ankara and Islamabad.
“Türkiye has developed strong capabilities in oil and natural gas exploration in recent years. With these new partnerships, TPAO now holds licences in three offshore and two onshore fields in Pakistan,” he said.
Bayraktar confirmed that Türkiye will serve as operator in at least one offshore block and that seismic research vessels will be deployed to Pakistani waters in 2026.
“We are very hopeful about the prospects here. Our goal is to begin operations next year, including seismic surveys in some fields and direct drilling in others. This will produce concrete results for Türkiye-Pakistan cooperation,” he said.
Next step: mining projects
The minister noted that Ankara intends to extend the partnership beyond hydrocarbons.
Calling Pakistan “a country of significant mineral wealth,” Bayraktar said Türkiye’s state mining enterprises — MTAIC and Eti Maden — will soon begin active operations in the country.
“We made key decisions today. Similar to our work in Africa and Central Asia, we will move quickly into joint mining projects in Pakistan,” he said.
Energy partnership linked to $5B trade goal
Bayraktar emphasised that deepening cooperation in energy and mining is essential for meeting the bilateral target of raising trade volume to $5 billion, set by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Pakistan in February.
He added that Türkiye and Pakistan, both major importers of oil products and LNG, are also exploring the possibility of joint procurement to create cost advantages.
Agreements built on earlier groundwork
The latest deals in Islamabad build on a series of accords signed during Erdogan’s February visit, including agreements on hydrocarbon cooperation, energy transition and mining.
A follow-up visit by Bayraktar in April paved the way for TPAO and Pakistan’s national companies to submit joint bids for offshore and onshore tenders — bids that have now materialised into formal exploration licenses.
“Pakistan is a country with which we share deep ties. We were received with exceptional hospitality, and we plan to return frequently as these projects move forward,” Bayraktar said.
