Asim M Khan confirmed as new PPL chief

KARACHI: The government has confirmed Asim Murtaza Khan as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) from September 27, a company statement said on Wednesday.

Khan has been serving as the acting MD since May 12, 2011. He replaced Khalid Rahman, who was removed from the post on charges of poor performance and incompetence. Before his appointment as MD & CEO, Khan served as Deputy Managing Director of PPL. He started his career with the company in 1982 and worked on key positions, including general manager production and manager of the Sui Gas Field.

In a surprise move in April, Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain removed all chiefs of the energy sector companies in Pakistan on the charges of poor performance. Former PPL chief Rahman was demoted to his previous post of deputy managing director. Rahman escaped sacking from the company because he remains its career employee. Rahman, who has a background in finance, was the first non-technical MD to lead the second-largest Exploration and Production Company of the country, which triggered sharp criticism on the ministry and resulted in discontent among many PPL employees, especially the ones affiliated with its core functions of exploration and production.

Asim Murtaza Khan is a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology. He did his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK.

He has also attended several advanced technical and management training programmes and is an alumnus of the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA, the PPL statement said.

(The News Sep 29,2011)

OGDCL registers most successful ratio on exploration front

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) has claimed to be the best exploration company worldwide for registering successful discoveries with finding one well productive out of four. According to the company’s official, exploration activities had been successful in Pakistan as compared to the rest of the world where companies succeeded to dig one well productive out of 10.

The company is operating with 40 producing fields of oil and gas, contributing 57 percent with 37,023 barrels of oil per day while the country’s total oil production stands at around 64,985 barrels of oil per day,” the official said.

About the current status of exploration activities, the official said the OGDCL was recently awarded four exploration licenses—two blocks in Balochistan, one in Punjab and one Sindh. Currently the OGDCL had 34 licenses including five blocks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven blocks in Punjab, 10 blocks in Balochistan, 9 in Sindh and three blocks offshore.

Recently, the OGDCL completed Pakistan Basin Study (PBS), containing important information regarding hydrocarbon exploration opportunities in the country.

According to official source the report would play an important role to enhance exploration activities in Pakistan as it provides clear picture to all exploration companies about the country’s potential in hydrocarbon.

(Pakistan Daily Time----------- Sep 29, 2011)