THE WISDOM FUND: News & Views
August 25, 2001
Pakistan & Gulf Economist

Report: Pakistan's Thar Desert Coal Reserves Largest in World

by Shamim Ahmed Rizvi

The governor of Sindh province Mohammad Mian Soomro who is the Vice Chairman of the task force told newsmen after the 3rd meeting of the Force in Karachi last week that the government has approached some international investors including Chinese, to form a joint venture for the development of coal reserves in Thar (Sindh) deserts which had largest reserves of coal in the world. Most likely Chinese will be our partner in this venture, observed Mian Soomro. . . .

Pakistan's Thar Desert contains the largest coal reserves discovered to date, covering an area of 10,000 square kilometers. The Thar Coal Field, should it be developed, will yield over 200 billion ton of coal used to produce electricity, it will yield sufficient power to make Pakistan self-sufficient in Electrical power. Pakistan has reserves of natural gas, but these will start to diminish by 2010.

Since the discovery of Thar coal in 1991 very little development work or study has been initiated. Thar coal has low calorific value but is environmentally friendly with a low Sulfur content. The Thar coal deposits extend across the border and they are currently being mined for power generation in Rajistan in India. India has no reservations about the use of these coal deposits. Coal extraction from Thar will be a development requiring 3-4 years before coal is made available for use. The ideal situation would be that GOP uses the coal to reduce Pakistan's dependence on hydro projects, the only alternative method is to develop the Thar coal via international financing. This is possible only by inviting international power companies to invest in Pakistan and provide the required funding for the development of the Thar coal field. . . .

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Michel Chossudovsky, "The Destabilization of Pakistan," Centre for Research on Globalisation, December 30, 2007

"Afghanistan, Pakistan: Obama's War," The Wisdom Fund, March 28, 2009

"Energy Wars: The Destabilization of Baluchistan," The Wisdom Fund, July 12, 2009

[Dr Murtaza Mughal president of Pakistan Economy Watch in a statement said that these reserves of coal worth USD 25 trillion can not only cater to the electricity requirements of the country for the next 100 years but also save almost four billion dollars in staggering oil import bill.--"Petroleum Companies Cartel Not Letting Thar Coal Reserves Develop," Alaiwah!, August 19, 2009]

"Thar Coal - Key to Energy Security of Pakistan," brecorder.com, February 1, 2014

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