Natural resources of Pakistan

1. Natural Resources of Pakistan
Sohaib Salman
281146
91 (C)

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Table of Contents
1. Country Profile………………………………………………………………………..3
2. Natural resources…………................................................................................4
i. Crude Oil……………………………………………………………………..4
ii. Natural Gas…………………………………………………………………..5
iii. Coal……………………………………………………………………...……6
iv. Water………………………………………………………………………….8
v. Land………………………………………………………………………….10
vi. Uranium……………………………………………………………………...12
vii. Minerals……………………………………………………………………...13
3. Conclusion and Outlook……………………………………………………………..15
4. References……………………………………………………...……………………...16

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Country Profile
Pakistan represents Pre-Cambrian to recent strata with different tectonometallic and sedimentary
basins. Pakistan has large reserves of coal but the deposits need to be exploited for provincial and
national development. Coal resources and their discoveries are necessary in order to meet
increasing demands. Share of coal in energy sector of Pakistan has increased from 6.5% (2003-04)
to 7.6% (2008-09) and but later fell back to 6.7% (2010-11). Considering growing energy needs,
this figure should have been more than its predecessor. Balochistan province tops coal production
with a 58% share. Pakistan is ranked 7th internationally regarding lignitic coal reserves but,
unluckily, Pakistan steel industry has imported from 2.84mt to 4.27mt coal per year between 2006
and 2011. This expenditure can be saved and spent on research and technology development.
Furthermore, thermal power plants should be installed to use indigenous coal reserves to increase
electrical power supply, keeping in view the population increase. Developments for coal resources
are necessary due to increasing energy demand in Pakistan, whereas in Pakistan, many coal fields
remain under-developed. To develop these coalfields, it is necessary to create the technology to
use the mixed lignitic, subbituminous and bituminous coal because majority of the reserves are
lignitic in Pakistan. The Thar coal deposit of Sindh is lignitic and available in grand quantity. Its
development should be started on trial basis initially as vertical shaft mining method. Alternatively,
open pit mining could be opted for but ground water may cause trouble in this regard. Pakistan has
mountaineous areas to store rain water and plain areas for irrigation but most of surface water is
being wasted as flood. The construction of major dams has mostly been hampered for a variety of
reasons. As population increases, construction of smaller dams in all provinces, districts and even
tehsil levels proportionally increases. Furthermore, at the mouth of main stream/nalas/rud
streaming from mountains, radial tributaries may be constructed in Daman/barren lands to provide
water for cultivation. Water resources wasting as flood begs for construction of small dams
especially in Kohat and Potwar (upper Indus); Sulaiman (middle Indus) and Kirthar (lower Indus)
basins and Balochistan basin of Pakistan which holds its vast plain areas. The main purposes and
goals of the present study are to present handy and brief information based on previous and recent

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wide spread work and also recent discoveries. Furthermore, water resources and their dam
constructions are also vital for the development of Pakistan due to increasing population.
NATURAL RESOURCES
i. Crude Oil:
Pakistan holds 353,500,000 barrels of proven oil reserves as of 2016, ranking 52nd in the world
and accounting for about 0.0% of the world's total oil reserves of 1,650,585,140,000 barrels.
Pakistan has proven reserves equivalent to 1.7 times its annual consumption. This means that,
without imports, there would be about 2 years of oil left (at current consumption levels and
excluding unproven reserves).

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ii. Natural Gas:

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Natural gas isan importantsource of electricitygeneration.Inordertomeetthe Kyototargetsin
reducingCO2 emissions,manycountriesare exploringpolicyoptionstoencourage the use of natural gas
as an alternative source (ApergisandPayne ).Natural gasbecomesanattractive optionbecause itis
more efficient,providesabetteroperational flexibility,reducesCO2emissionandlowerscapital costs.
EIA reportedthatworldnatural gas consumptionasa percentage of total energyisaround21% and 23%
in1990 and 2007, respectively.Likewise,the total natural gasconsumptionisexpectedtogrow at 18%
annuallybetween2007 and 2035.
DevelopingcountriessuchasPakistanare not likelytoattract investmentinestablishingexpensivefuel
strategies1andthusnatural gas becomesthe alternative.Natural gasisa dominantfuel inPakistan
accountingfor47% of primaryenergydemandin2007. Since 2000, natural gas and petroleumare the
mainsourcesof energyinPakistanconsistof 50% and29% of total energyconsumption,respectively
(PakistanEnergyYearbook ).Nevertheless,the consumptionof petroleumisdecreasingdue tothe hike
of petroleumpricesandvehiclesare convertedtousingnatural gas.Furthermore,the governmentalso
encouragesof using local compressedgasandliquefiedpetroleumgasinthe transportationandpower
sectors.These twosectorsaccount fornearly51% and 40% of the total gas consumption,respectively
(GoP ).Natural gas alsooffersthe cheapestanda cleaneralternativesource of energy.Therefore,itis
importantandtimelytoinvestigatethe linkageof natural gasconsumptionandeconomicgrowthincase
of Pakistan.
iii. Coal:
Due to the present energy crises in the world and particularly in Pakistan, the government and
power generation sectors have shown keen interest in the indigenous coal resources for its
utilisation in the electric power generation, cement and other related industries. The development
of coal will have an important multiplier effect by creating a number of supporting industries which
will provide additional employment for skilled labour, income for the mining community and
experience with new and modern technologies. Production of domestic coal will reduce the
demand for imported fuels which drains an inordinate percentage of Pakistan’s scarce foreign
exchange resources. Coal from different areas of Pakistan generally ranges from lignite to high
volatile bituminous. These coals are friable with relatively high content of ash and sulphur. Coal
of Pakistan is being used for cement, sugar, steel, brick-kiln, domestic supply and by other
industries including, Water and Power Development Authority. Pakistan is ranked 7th
internationally in having lignitic coal reserves. Most of the world’s lignite coal is found in Asia
and Pakistan is tops lignitic coal-bearing countries in Asia. 97% of coal reserves of Pakistan belong

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to lignite and remaining only 3% are sub-bituminous to bituminous. So far, out of an estimated
475bt of sub-bituminous and lignite reserves of the world, 46.7% occur in Asia, 34.9% in Europe,
9.6% in America and 7.7% in Australia. The recoverable reserves of lignite in Asia are as follows:
Pakistan, 36.9%; Indonesia, 31.6%; China, 27.4%; India, 2.8% and Thailand, 1.2%. The
percentage of lignite to hard coal in Asia is represented as follows: Pakistan, 97%; Thailand, 83%;
Indonesia, 58% and India, 3% (Ghaznavi, 2002). The percentage of hard coal to over all reserves
in Asia is as follows: Pakistan, 3%; Thailand, 17%; Indonesia, 42% and India, 97% Working coal
mines in Balochistan are Mach, Sor Range-Deghari, Narwar-Pir Ismail Ziarat, KhostShahrag-
Harnai Duki, Chamalang-Bahlol and Kingri coalfields whereas a non-developed coalfield is
situated in Toi Nala (Ghoze Ghar) with total reserves of about 458.7mt; working coal mines in
Punjab are Makerwal and Salt Range coalfields with total reserves of about 235mt; working coal
mines in Sindh are Lakhra and Meting-Jhimpir coalfields whilst nondeveloped coalfields are
Sonda-Thatta, Jherruck, Ongar, Indus East, Badin and Thar coalfields with total reserves of about
185,457mt; working coal mines in KPK are Hangu/Orakzai, Cherat, Dara Adamkhel and Gulakhel
coalfields and those of non-developed coal fields in the same region is the Shirani coalfield with
total reserves of about 122.99mt and, lastly, working coal mines in Azad Kashmir are Kotli
coalfields with total reserves of about 8.72mt. With this, the grand total reserves of Pakistan are
about 186,282.41mt. A few coalfields in Balochistan and most coalfields in Sindh are non-
developed. Due to the prevalent energy crises, it is necessary to find new coalfields, utilise
explored coalfields and introduce semi-mechanisation in coal mining to keep up production as well
as its cost at competitive levels. Due to recent discovery, the coal reserves of Balochistan have
increased from 196mt to 458.2mt (Malkani, 2011). The present research resulted as grand total
reserve of 186,282.41mt coal in Pakistan. Out of these, 3479.45mt have been measured,
12023.20mt have been indicated and 56947.26mt inferred whereas hypothetical reserves are about
113832.30mt.

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iv. Water:
Surface Water-Resources
Surface water-resources of Pakistan are mainly based on the flows of the Indus River and its
tributaries. The Indus River has a total length of 2900 kilometres (Km) and the drainage area is
about 966,000 sq. Km. Five major tributaries joining its eastern side are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi,
Beas and Sutlej; besides, three minor tributaries are the Soan, Harow, and Siran, which drain in
mountainous areas. A number of small tributaries also join the Indus towards its western side. The
biggest of such tributaries is River Kabul.
During the current century, the Indus Basin has developed the largest contiguous irrigationsystem
in the world. The system includes Indus River and its major tributaries, 3 major reservoirs (Tarbela,
Mangla and Chashma), 19 barrages/headworks, 12 link canals, 45 canal commands and some

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99,000 watercourses. The total length of the canal-system is, 58,450 Km, with 88,600 watercourses,
farm channels and field ditches running another 160,000 Km in length.
Rainfall
Rainfall is neither sufficient nor regular. In the Sindh plains, high-intensity rainfall occurs during
July and August and its intensity continues to decrease from coastal areas towards central parts of
the Sindh. The southern Punjab and northern Sindh are the areas of very low annual rainfall- less
than 152 mm. The areas above the Salt Range, including the districts of Jhelum, Rawalpindi,
Attock and Mianwali, receive high rainfall, above the average of 635 mm per year. The winter
rains are generally widespread. Northern and northwestern area of NWFP and the northern areas
of Balochistan receive comparatively high order of rainfall during winter. The magnitude of the
annual rainfall over nearly 21 million hectares (Mha) of Indus Plains and Peshawar valley averages
about 26 MAF. The present contribution of rain to crops in the irrigated areas is estimated at about
6 MAF.
Ground Water Resources
Most of the groundwater resources of Pakistan exist in the Indus Plain, extending from Himalayan
foothills to Arabian Sea, and are stored in alluvial deposits. The Plain is about 1,600 Km long and
covers an area of 21 Mha and is blessed with extensive unconfined aquifer, which is fast becoming
the supplemental source of water for irrigation. The aquifer has been built due to direct recharge
from natural precipitation, river flow, and the continued seepage from the conveyance-system of
canals, distributaries, watercourses and application-losses in the irrigated lands during the last 90
years. This aquifer, with a potential of about 50 MAF, is being exploited to an extent of about 38

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MAF by over 562,000 private tubewells and about 10,000 public tubewells.
v. Land:

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Crops
About 28% of Pakistan’s total land area is under cultivation. Pakistan boasts one of the largest
irrigation systems in the world. According to Wikipedia, “the most important crops are cotton,
wheat, rice, sugarcane, maize, sorghum, millets, pulses, oil seeds, barley, fruits and vegetables,
which together account for more than 75% of the value of total crop output.” The fertile lands of
Punjab are ready to feed a population twice that of current Pakistan.
Livestock
According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan, the livestock sector contributes about half of the
value added in the agriculture sector, amounting to nearly 11 per cent of Pakistan's GDP, which is
more than the crop sector. The leading daily newspaper Jang reports that the national herd consists
of 24.2 million cattle, 26.3 million buffaloes, 24.9 million sheep, 56.7 million goats and 0.8 million
camels. In addition to these there is a vibrant poultry sector in the country with more than 530
million birds produced annually. These animals produce 29.472 million tons of milk (making
Pakistan the 4th largest producer of milk in the world), 1.115 million tons of beef, 0.740 million
tons of mutton, 0.416 million tons of poultry meat, 8.528 billion eggs, 40.2 thousand tons of wool,
21.5 thousand tons of hair and 51.2 million skins and hides.
The Food and Agriculture Organization reported in June 2006 that in Pakistan, government
initiatives are being undertaken to modernize milk collection and to improve milk and milk product
storage capacity.
The Federal Bureau of Statistics provisionally valued this sector at Rs.758,470 million in 2005
thus registering over 70% growth since 2000.
Fishery
Fishery and fishing industry plays an important role in the national economy of Pakistan. With a
coastline of about 1046 km, Pakistan has enough fishery resources that remain to be fully
developed. It is also a major source of export earnings. Aquaculture is also a rapidly developing
industry in Pakistan. Especially the Punjab Province has demonstrated rapid growth in fish
farming. GIFT Tilapia culture has also been introduced quite recently in Pakistan especially Punjab
province.

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Forestry
The forestry sector of Pakistan is a main source of lumber, paper, fuelwood, latex, medicine as
well as food and provide ecotourism and wildlife conservation purposes. Less than 4% of land in
Pakistan is covered with forests.
vi. Uranium:
Regionally uranium deposits are located in central and southern part of Pakistan such as in Bannu
Basin, Sulaiman Range, Dera Ghazi Khan, Issa Khel, Mianwali District and Kirther Range. First
uranium deposit was discovered in Sulaiman Range in 1959 then in 1970 many small deposits
discovered in Dera Ghazi Khan district[3,4] and recently in 2000/2001 Taunsa was also discovered
in this district[4]. So the area of Dera Ghazi Khan is important regarding uranium production and
this area lies in Sulaiman Range. Similarly in Bannu Basin and in Salt Range small deposits Qabul
Khel and Kalar Kahar respectively were also discovered. In north of Dera Ghazi Khan District
dozen of small uranium deposits discovered such as Baghal Chur, Rakuchur, Rakhi Munh, Nangar
Nai, Kaha Nalo, Rajanpur and Taunsa.

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vii. Minerals:
Currently about 52 minerals are under exploitation but on small scale. the major production is of
coal and rock salt and other construction minerals. At this time, the mineral sector is mainly
concentrated in five principal minerals. Namely limestone, coal, gypsum, sulphur, crude oil and
natural gas. The current contribution of mineral sector to the GDP is about 0.5%.

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BALOCHISTAN is the richest province around 80 to 85% minerals present here. Rest of 10 to
15% is present in KPK, SINDH, PUNJAB.
The most important minerals are given as follows:
 Chromites: Chromite is used in making engineering tools and stainless steel. It is found at
Chaghi, Muslim Bagh, Malakand and Zhob.
 Copper: Copper is used in electrical equipment, power and communication transmission
lines. It is found at Sandak, Chaghi
 Gypsum: Gypsum is used in the manufacture of cement, fertilizers and Plaster of Paris. It
is found at Hazara, Kohat, D.G.Khan and Dandot.
 Iron Ore: Iron ore is used in making steel and engineering products. Quality of iron ore is
not of good standard. It is found at Kalabagh, Chitral, Hazara, Makerwal and Khuzdar.
 Rock Salt: Rock salt is used for cooking as well as in the manufacture of soda ash. It is also
used in textile and tanning industries. It is found at Khewra, Warcha and Kalabagh.
 Marble and Granite: Marble is used for decoration in construction industry. It is available
in great quantities at various places of the country.
 Lime Stone: Limestone is used in manufacture of cement, bleaching powder and glass and
paint industries. It has rich deposits in the country. Lime stone is found at Hyderabad,
Potohar and at Khewra Salt range.

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Conclusion and Outlook
Pakistan is rich in diverse natural resources. Pakistan’s human resources include a population of
intelligent young people and a burgeoning urban middle class. The culture, knowledge, wealth,
and infrastructure are sure to grow and improve in the near future. This combined with its prime
location will lead to long-term success for the nation if resources are properly utilized and
economically spent.

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References:
1. CIA world fact book
2. United States Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Resources Program
3. United States Energy Information Administration
4. United States Energy Information Administration
5. Apergis N, Payne JE. Natural gas consumption and economic growth: a panel
investigation of 67 countries. Applied Energy 2010; 87:2759–63.
6. Pakistan Energy Year book (2005). Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan,
Pakistan.
7. GOP. Economic survey of Pakistan. Islamabad, Pakistan: Published by Ministry of
Finance; 2008-09.
8. EIA. International energy outlook 2010. Washington DC: Energy International
Administration; 2010.
9. A REVIEW OF COAL AND WATER RESOURCES OF PAKISTAN: M. SADIQ
MALKANI Sci., Tech. and Dev., 31 (3): 202-218, 2012
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Pakistan#Livestock
11. Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2005-6 Archived 2008-06-02 at the Wayback Machine
12. Business & Finance Review Archived 2008-04-11 at the Wayback Machine.
13. Agriculture (GIEWS), global information and early warning system on food and.
"Food Outlook - No. 1 June 2006". www.fao.org. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
14. http://earthtrends.wri.org/text/forests-grasslands-drylands/country-profile-140.html