ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has opened bids for 20 onshore petroleum exploration blocks, the government said in a statement on Friday.

“The minimum investment to be carried out by the exploration and production (E&P) companies in these blocks for prospecting will be over $71 million in three years,” a statement from the Petroleum Division said.

The move to grant licences for discovery comes after a gap of several years as the country is facing depleting gas reserves, a rising domestic shortage and increasing reliance on imported liquefied natural gas.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2021