US energy firm looking to invest in oil and gas sector

ISLAMABAD: CEO of Hydrocarb Corporation from USA, Kent P Watts, expressed interest in exploring and producing oil and gas in unexplored and under-explored areas in the country.

He was talking to Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Syed Naveed Qamar on Wednesday. The minister said he looked forward to companies investing in terms of their expertise and technology, as the exploration and production (E&P) sector was fairly underutilized. He said the present policy entailed transparency and a level playing field for all in addition to offering many incentives for investors and operators.

Qamar informed Watts that a tremendous opportunity existed in the upstream sector adding that venturing into difficult areas could yield high returns. He said that taking on board stakeholders especially the indigenous ones was key to success.

Chief Operating Officer of the Hydrocarb Corporation Pasquale V Scaturro also accompanied the CEO.

Meeting with CGEP: Separately, Qamar met a delegation of the Citizen's Group on Electoral Process (CGEP), formed by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency.

The delegation apprised the minister that its members, with no present affiliation with any political party, were working to promote electoral reforms and for the development of electoral rolls in Pakistan. The interactive meeting focused on developing accurate, complete and up-to-date electoral rolls in Pakistan as an important aspect of the electoral reforms process.

The minister reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring preparation of accurate, complete and up-to-date electoral rolls. He emphasized on clearing the whole process so as to eliminate any chances of bogus voting. He said technology was available and could be utilized effectively adding that in the presence of the NADRA the need of any duplicate database seemed no more necessary. The status and amendments to various electoral laws also came under discussion. The delegation comprised Lt Gen (R) Moinuddin Haider, Arif Nizami (former editor of The Nation), Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami (editor in chief, Daily Pakistan), Shahid Hamid (former governor of Punjab), Ahmad Bilal Mehboob (ED, PILDAT), Aasiya Riaz (joint director of PILDAT).