Massive deposit of petroleum, natural gas found in Pakistani waters

A substantial deposit of petroleum and natural gas has been discovered in Pakistan's territorial waters, a cache so large its exploitation could change the country's destiny, according to a media report.

A three-year survey was undertaken in collaboration with a friendly country to verify the presence of the oil and gas reserves, DawnNewsTV quoted a senior security official as saying on Friday.

The geographic survey has allowed Pakistan to identify the location of the deposits, and the relevant departments have informed the government of the resources found in Pakistani waters.

Terming it an effort to benefit from what he called the blue water economy', the official said that proposals for bidding and exploration were being studied, meaning that the exploration work can be started in the near future.

However, he said the work of digging wells and actually getting oil out could take several years.

But the blue water economy' can yield more than just oil and gas; there are several o