Offshore staff

(Asia-Pacific) - Pakistan granted an offshore oil and gas exploration license on Dec. 23 to a consortium led by the state-run Government Holding Private Ltd. (GHPL), reported a local source.

Under the concession, the company and its five Pakistani and foreign partners will spend $18 million to drill an exploration well in the Indus E Block off the coast of Sindh province in 2006, the Ministry of Petroleum said in a statement.

The block, covering an area of 7,389.95 sq km, is about 150 km off the coast of Karachi in water more than 1,000 m (3,280 ft) deep, it said.

The other companies in the GHPL-led consortium � Shell Development and Offshore Pakistan (operator, 25% interest), Premier Oil Pakistan Offshore (12.5%), Kufpec Pakistan (12.5%), Oil and Gas Development Co. Ltd. (30%), and Pakistan Petroleum Ltd. (20%) � will take part in the exploration work, the ministry said.

12/27/05