Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan’s largest exploration and production firm, has announced the commissioning of its Jhal Magsi Development Project in Balochistan.
The company disclosed the development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Monday.
“OGDCL is pleased to announce the completion and commissioning of the Jhal Magsi Development Project, located in the remote district of Jhal Magsi, Balochistan,” the notice read.
According to the company’s spokesperson, the facility is expected to produce 14 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of gas and 45 barrels of oil per day.
The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has already laid a 98-kilometre pipeline connecting Jhal Magsi to its network, ensuring the project’s gas is added to the national grid.
The development initiative began in February 2024 after government approval and incentives. The Jhal Magsi field comprises two wells and is operated as a joint venture.
Officials say the initiative will strengthen Pakistan’s energy sector. But political parties and rights groups in Balochistan argue that such ventures rarely benefit the region itself.
They note that despite its resource wealth, the Baloch population faces poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment. Many view projects like Jhal Magsi as exploitation of local land carried out without community consent.
Political leaders have long accused Islamabad of extracting wealth from Balochistan while neglecting services such as infrastructure, healthcare and education.
The inauguration has once again sparked debate over whether Balochistan’s natural wealth will bring any direct benefit to its people, or whether, as critics argue, it will primarily serve national demand while leaving the region marginalized.